December 8, 1964
Dear Kathy: More loot. Hope you can use it. (hah!) I have been working with the group in New York to establish pressure for the challenge. More on that when I know more. I heard from one woman who had contributed to the project in the first batch of responses. You should know that she was tremendously impressed by the letter f thanks and acknowledgement she received. She told me that she had expected a form letter ato best, and was impressed to receive a long, individually typewritten letter which did her the courtesy of assuming she would be Interested in the project n a substantive basis, that shoaid would be Interested in the challenge, and so on. So I was impressed at how impressed she was. I think it made a big difference in her casej I hope you're doing this with the other people, although I haven't heard. Aviva; there has been no news on the acreage allotment board elections in anything I've read, except a smlll article in the New York Times on four beatings that happened that day, including ne in Canton. Otherwise, we're all in the dark, at least I am. When, if not already, are the results of the elections announced ? I am sftowly sxx moling into the housing scene in New York. It is not news to anyone that people are getting screwed by the city when it wants to do things with land peopML are naive enough to be attached to Just because they have been living there all their lives. But it is news, I suppose and hopp, as to the mechanics of the city's ways and means. Thfet is what I'm working on. Future publication Is far in the distance, though. Freedom (even to the postal workers who may this moment be reading this) Now List of contributors for follow up purposes.
1. Mr. Thmmas Bress 292 Madison Ave. New York, N.Y. r» 2. Mr. Eleazar Lipsky £f 607 West End Ave, New TB rk 24, N.Y. $5.50 (My Dad made over a check from an airline this time; he's not that tigfct.) 3. Mr. Milton Heimlich 65 Echo Bay Drive New Rochelle, N.Y. czfuBfifi 1100 (Write to him quick, please. Thi£ man makes sewing machines. If you want to, you can tell him I wrote to you telling you that he makes them, and x describe th need for one. He would respond favorably, I think.) 4. Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Taller 2332 JBcGee Ave. Berkeley 3, Calif. $5 5» Harold and Esther Weitz $5 9 (kdon'J know address.) 6. Mr. and Mrs. Jules "Yablo«k 138 last 78th St. New York 21, N.Y. $10 7. Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Smith 280 Riverside Drive New York, N.Y. $5
$135.50 ICO Rust Avoo Rclly Springsa Miss, Sept, 15, 196L| Dear Holly Spring s V< teran, We miss you, but are carrying ..j on as best we can, Cleve is back to lead us and Ivanhoe b^ eezed through for one day on his -ray North and then to Alabamao Dorothy Louie has been attracting Rust and MI students to the movement by throwing lots cf dances,, but she's leaving for school Wednesday, Cleve took one look at the rest of hi* staff — Marjcrie, Gloria.^ and I — and took off for Greenwood to get some men, Frank, Larry Rubin, Aviva and Barbara Bloomfield will be back but are now home raising funds, Frank, Hardy, Ray Stanley and Ken Skudder left in Bluebird, which gave out In El Reno, 0klahomao Frank and Hardy procedod to get kicked out of a bar there thtit hadn't heard the good news about tte Civil Rights Bill being passed. Now Frank is in San Jo3e making speeches, and Hardy is in Sacramento sending us the clothes they have oollectcd,
Larry and Barbara B0 went to Philadelphia(Pa,) via Albany, Gac so they could work on the King for Congress campaign, Larry2s Lark has also breathed its:, last, Marjorie and Gloria returned to Eolly Springs with Leo DI1worth who proceded to Aberdeen and the jail there, But now he's back here and going to Rust, Scott's back too, Marjorie3 VW lasted a week and now needs a new engine. My Corvair gave est after being here four days9 and the best brain in Holly Springs can't figure out what's wrong with it. You can see we're having our usual luck with cars. We're also having housing problems. We lengthened t&o porch of tho Freedom School building and fixed the tilt on the bathroom floor., but then had to stop because we can't get a lease,If any of you know any influential Methodists please lot us know because wo need support to convince the Methodist Board of Education that we're really okay. Good news: none of you will have to come back to serve jail sentences, Honry Aronson is handling all our cases but he's using UT> our nost egg in tho process. It looks like Henry will be working for COFO all year - he's moved to Jackson but ho's taking flying less ons so he can soarch us out in a hurry when we call. Wo figure we'll havo about ten poople over the winter, trying to oko out a meager existenco on peanut buttor and kool aid. Guess wo'11 switch to hot coffoc, though, since the weather has turned cool. You probably novor noticed during the hot summer, but those broozos--come right up between tho floor boards, Thoy took all our bods away and man, sleoping on cots can bo COLD. So we nood blankets. And rombmber all those swell spaghotti dinners wo used to havo ? Well, we're still having them. Sometimes lasagna oven, but never much moat. Evon can season is ovor. So wo need food. And sinco they took away our furnituro, we use a packing box for a kitchon tablo« Hopo you'll pardon us for sending you a letter done on a stencil. Wo'ed havo liked to have sent you a letter done on our copy ma.ch.ino, along with Frank's now froodom cartoon, but it costs 17 cents a page on tlaat machino. I could go on and on, But by now you've got the idoa that wo nood money, Tho projects havo boon thrown back on tho ir ovn roaourcos and aro counting on the offotrbs of faithful summojjp volunteers to raako It, as they say dowh hero. But soriously, thcro is no reason why over campus should hrt havo a Friends of SNCC, and of tho Holly Springs project in particular,. Got out and make spoochos about your sxamior oxporioncos and colloct funds for our winter experiences. Do:aat lot pooplo forgot about Mississippi, It's up to you to koop up ior. and interest'
Jackson is asking the summer volunteers to roturn to M.l, ,-i o .*• ^ .-> to spond Christmas vacation, Wintor is a vory tough timo down horo and It will bo a big boost to moralo for local pooplo to seo old friends returning loaded doton with food and supplies.
School is out now and whole families work all day in tho fiolcr d-® Ing the most degrading and exhausting work imaginable -•- picking cotton. They go out at dawn, standing on tho back of a truck,, and and return after dark.. All for $3o00 a day, These are people you know - your friends not some characters out of a documentary film. They'll bo picking until tho time whon you como down for Christen, y?
Thi r^ 1 otter is too long, but I want to emphasizo two things i'-hal you should do: organize support for tho project and plan to-eer, > ao, for Christmas, I don't nood to toll you that you aro noodod, Just df»n!t lot your ugly memories of Mississippi grow dim with time All tho bad stuff still goes on, Wo didn't work miracles last,-summer-,, wo only got a toehold* The Idea of freedom will grow only If it got outside supports And if you won't support it, who Willi
Yours in Frocdom, Kcdi1
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f/VYvJu 53 University Place Princeton, N.J. 26 October 1?64 $&t A?. a*^M. As you may know, I worked this summer with the Mississippi Summer Project in voter registration. I wasn't beaten^ I wasn't arrested. I was only witness and worker in the terrible struggle which Mississippi Negroes have undertaken in their rebellion against the Southern caste system, the beatings, the arrests, the inadequate and segregated schools, the life of poverty.
Throughout the summer it was impossible not to think of September and the coming of winter, when the cotton would be picked and workers would be more expendable, when national attention would have diminished, and when white hostility to the civil rights movement would be most clearly revealed. The recent bombings and arrests of Negroes in McComb, and the bombings in Natchez and elsewhere were realizations of the summer's fears.
Last week I received a letter from the Holly Springs project where I worked. I have enclosed a copy. The projects throughout the state have been told that they must depend upon their own resources for financial support. In other words, most of the money this winter will have to come from the efforts of summer volunteers who have returned to the North. Our continuing obligations are deep, and must be met.
The enclosed letter was particularly moving to me because I was the first person in our project xo interview Mr. Dean when he came to the office. I remember well the relief on his wife's face when we told them that we could let the family have a box of food and some money for the children's milk and medicine. When Mr. Dean was kicked off his place for wanting to vote, the man for whom he had driven a tractor owed him a few hundred dollars?, in Mississippi, it was uncollectable. The family will continue to rely on the civil rights workers for basic provisions.
The case of the Dean family, of course, is not isolated. There will be other families evicted and abused for their attempts to exercise basic rights as citizens and as people. This summer when we talked to people about registering in the Freedom Democratic Party, we had to assure them that we were in their county to stay. Although we pointed out that the FDP was the party of Mississippians, to win confidence we insisted that civil rights workers would remain in the area so long as they were needed. As the enclosed letter reveals, the time to demonstrate our pcrserverance in this fight has arrived.
I am asking your help because I thought you might be interested, and because I don't know to whom else to turn if not my friends, please let me know if )u have any questions about the project, I would welcome chances to talk about what happened this summe: 1 to respond in a note. If you can help, please make out your check to me or to the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) and send it to me at 53 University Place, Princeton, New Jersey Thank you for your interest and support.
^L^v>w /C %^X *k-* (H^ ^~ Michael Lipsfy f ^-^\\r\u^~\ 53 University Place Princeton, N.J. j " 26 October 1964
As you may know, I worked this summer with the Mississippi Summer Project in voter registration. I wasn't beaten^ I wasn't arrested, I was only witness and worker in the terrible struggle which Mississippi Negroes have undertaken in their rebellion against the Southern caste system, the beatings, the arrests, the inadequate and segregated schools, the life of poverty. Throughout the summer it was impossible not to think of September and the coming of winter, when the cotton would be picked and workers would be more expendable, when national attention would have diminished, and when white hostility to the civil rights movement would be most clearly revealed. The recent bombings and arrests of Negroes in McComb, and the bombings in Natchez and elsewhere were realizations of the summer's fears. Last week I received a letter from the Holly Springs project where I v/orked. I have enclosed a copy. The projects throughout the state have been told that they must depend upon their own resources for financial support. In other words, most of the money this winter will have to come from the efforts of summer volunteers who have returned to the North. Our continuing obligations are deep, and must be met. The enclosed letter was particularly moving to me because I was the first person in our project to interview Mr. Dean when he came to the office. I remember well the relief on his wife's face when we told them that we could let the family have a box of food and some money for the children's milk and medicine. When Mr. Dean was kicked off his place for wanting to vote, the man for whom he had driven a tractor owed htm a few hundred dollars; in Mississippi, it was uncollectable. The family will continue to rely on the civil rights workers for basic provisions. The case of the Dean family, of course, is not isolated. There will be other families evicted and abused for their attempts to exercise basic rights as citizens and as people. This summer when we talked to people about registering in the Freedom Democratic Party, we had to assure them that we were in their county to stay. Although we pointed out that the FDP was the party of Mississippians, to win confidence we insisted that civil rights workers would remain in the area so long as they were needed. As the enclosed letter reveals, the time to demonstrate our perserverance in this fight has arrived. I am asking your help because I thought you might be interested, and because I don't know to whom else to turn if not my friends. Please let me know if you have any questions about the project. I would welcome chances; to talk about what happened this summer, or to respond in a note. If you can help, please make out your check to me or to the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) and send it to me at 53 University Place, Princeton, New Jersey. Thank vou for your interest and support. 100 Rust Ave. Holly Springs, Miss. October, 1964
Dear Friends, We were glad to hear from so many people. We hope to hear from all of you sooner or later. And thank you, thank you for your gifts of warm blankets and food. Let me tell you my technique for opening letters. After breaking through the carefully typed and sealed back flaps, I snatch out the letter and shake it vigorously to let the checks fall out. Then I read the letter to see why no checks fell out. You see, we are pretty discouraged at the number of people who have reported proudly that they have raised large sums of money (through relating the experiences and pushing the notoriety they gained from Holly Springs) and then add that (ha ha) it's all going to Jackson. These letters really make us weep because we need the money, tfe are one of the largest projects in the state and the only one which attempts to work in nine counties. If people are doing their jobs rights, each car uses a tank of gas a day. And our bad luck with cars continues unabated, so there are lots of repair bills. In fact, we could have three more cars on the road if we had several hundred dollars to put them in shape. And although we have lost our fine Community Center building which we worked on so hard, we still pay rent on two houses. Right now we are trying to feed thirteen hungry mouths. We have the heat on in earnest and are trying to patch up those cracks (the house leaks terribly when it rains) and broken windows. We are running out of office supplies. In spite of all this, Jackson will send only $180 per month because that is all they can allot to our project. We need much more to get those cars out to meetings, to canvass, keep up contacts, distribute literature and help those who have helped us. We are trying to set up nine county units of a political party composed of people who have never been allowed to participate in politics before. Lately we have been supplying local Freedom Democratic Party leaders with transpor tation to state meetings in Jackson and district meetings in Batesville. We will continue to attend all local meetings and rallies until the local units can function on their own, which will be several months at least. We are working on the Freedom Vote. We are the only organization doing any work for the Democratic Party in this area, and our cars with Johnson stickers ride through a sea of Goldwater bumpers. Before, I mentioned something about helping those who work with us. Here is an example. This morning Mrs. Mary Dean came to tell us that her husband died during the night. He v/as J.T. Dean: they were the first of our friends to suffer economic reprisals for their connection with us. They were put off their land after their white landlord saw Mrs. Dean standing in line to register to vote on the first Holly Springs Freedom Day. The Negro community got together and found them a new home and also collected food and money to tide them over. Yesterday Mr. Dean returned to Waterford, where they had lived, to visit with friends. He hadn't been back before except to transact busi ness. He returned home in the early evening and retired. At about 2 A.M. he woke up with symptoms of excessive thirst, vomiting, shortness of breath and, finally, convulsions and death about 3*30 A.M. Mrs. Dean wanted an autopsy performed because she suspected poi soning. Her family doctor would not even come to see the body to pronounce him dead but told her that no doubt he had had a heart attack. Two doctors must request an autopsy before the county will order it done and not even the Negro doctor would make such a request. So we got $200 together to carry the body to Memphis for an autopsy. If Mrs. Dean had not had us to turn to, this tragic and suspicious death would have gone unquestioned. By yesterday afternoon, everybody in this little town knew Mrs. Dean wanted an autopsy. And they knew who was making it possible. We stay busy. Frank came back today, so you can add a '62 Falcon and $120 to the $840 monthly car buuget. You can also add a full time worker for Tate County, the county where there are 10,000 Negroes and only one is registered. (It took us a week of work to persuade another man to try and he had his barn burned down and was run out of the county—in fact, out of the state—for trying.) Please try a bit harder to help us.
Yours in freedom,
Kathy . 13 S £cui 7Std Stxs.s.1
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1740 BROADWAY NEW YORK 19, N. Y.
SEVENTEENTH FLOOR
JUDSON 6-1900
December 8, 1964
Mr. Michael Lipsky 53 University Place Princeton, N. J.
Dear Mike:
I received your letter some weeks ago regarding the Mississippi Project, which I found tremendously moving.
I have been deeply involved in sending funds, particularly to S.N.C.C. and C.O.F.O. for quite some time. However, I do feel that there should be some response to every individual at this time and I am therefore enclosing a small check, knowing that you will understand that we have made a number of contributions to this Project through other channels.
Priscilla and I feel that your interest and activity in this Pro ject is a hopeful note for the future and look forward to hearing from you further about this.
Cordially yours, m,(J J lA/\s^ Abbott Simon
AS/vs encl. REICH BART & REICH BART MURRAY HILL 2-2652 ATTORNEYS AT LAW CABLE ADDRESS "JOREICH"
JOSEPH K. REICHBART RUTH G. REICHBART FORTY ONE EAST FORTY-SECOND STREET JAMES H.CARROLL NEW YORK, N. Y. 10017 ROBERT FRIEDMAN ARTHUR S. COWEN December 8, 1964
Mr. Michael Lipsky 53 University Place Princeton, New Jersey
Dear Michael:
We are enclosing our check payable to you in the sum of $50.00, in response to your recent letter.
It is done with the hope that it may be of some help in the fine work you are doing.
Best regards.
Sincerely,
Joseph K. Reichbart JKR/ap enc 11 iti pfurt Frndtm Tram a »;, ut m bowD, yst aru bawrd.
"PLUME II, NUMBER 10 ~ DECEMBER 13.196 "? ubl1sho d by tho Citizens of Benton County, Mississippi. Boulah Mae Ayers, Editor
WHO'S THAT YONDER CONGRESSMEN WITH SKIN OF BLACK; IT'S L. B. PAIGE AND HE WON'T TURN BACK. SUPERVISOR
ZQUAL VoTiNQ RIGHTS
ASC COMMITTEE Bert I o.a^ County Freedom_ Train Doc. 13, 1964 Page 1 [NEGROES WON ENTIRE COMMUNITY.'
For tho first time since Recon ASC elections, but none d id as strue ticn, Nogrooc wore elected to well as Benton, oven thou gh all public office In Ronton Go'inty had a higher percentage o i Negroes last Mot-cay, as Mr. L. P„ Paige, in thorn.. Madison did sec oiid best, Mr-o OJLabon Jackson, and Mrs, Sarah electing one man to the c hairman- Robinson won tho top throe posi ship of a communit; The othcr tions on tho ASC community B com counties decided at a moo ting in mit too, Batosvllle last Tuesday t o demand that the elections be hoi d a ga in Mr. Paige received 133 votes and because they were not cor.ducte d became chairman of tho committee, fairly. -ir* Jackson received 181 votes and became vice-chairman of tho com Bonton County's candidates were mittee, and Mrs. Robinson received also present at the meeting, but 170 votes ana became regular mem- they decided not to demand a re tor, Running behind tho top throo election, even though Bonton coun candidates wore Mr, Wayno Akins ty's election was not conducted with 165 votes and Mr. Kenneth fairly. Thoy decided to keep what Leako with 150 votes. Both men they had won and next year try to aro alternates on tho committee, win Community A. which moans they can only attend meetings if any of the top throo Now that tho election is over, members arc sick. tho Citizens Club plans to make an investigation of extra acreage al Negro candidates in communities io tod to Negro farmers by the t\SCS A and C lost. In community C, and send its report to the Agricul tho Nogro candidates received 91 ture Dopartmont in Washington, D.C and 89 votes, as compared with over 200 votes received by tho top five white candidates. It was Chairman's statement: concluded that there aro more by L. B. Paige wh_* tea than Negroes in 'obis com I am grateful that I was elected munity, since only 5 eligible to the committee of the ASCS, and I Negroes did not vote. am even more grateful that I was elected chairman of the committee. In community A, on tho other I do thank the people of Bonton hand, about 40 eligible Negroes County for their cooperation and did rot vote, chiefly because they for their votes which enabled me t did not receive ballots and wore bo placed on the committee. I will to fearful to go to the ASCS of do my utmost to be a good commlt- fice and ask for ono. In this teoman. community, tho throo Nogro candi dates received 93» 94, and 94 Co mmfbtce s't cct err*en"t: votes, as compared with 150, 149, .145, 143, and 136 votes received •Ye, tho community committee of by tho five white candidates. community B of Benton county,feel Since many ineligible whites are grateful toward tho people of "ohis thought to have voted, it must bo community. We feel that It is an concluded that If tho elections honor as well as an opportunity to had boon conducted farily, with be elected as your committeemen. every eligible Nogro voting, Negro candidates would probably We assure you that we will do our havo won in Community A. very best to serve you as a good, true, and honest committee. Eight other counties In Missis sippi ran Nogro candidates in the Benton County Freedom Train Deo. 13. 1964 Page 2 FOP -to challenge sealing of Mississippi Congressmen Do you remember tho Freedom Vote held last October 30-November 2? Report on hSC vote-counting in that election, moro people in Benton County voted for Lyndon by Boulah Mae Aye Johnson and Fannie Lou Hamer than We went to Ashland on December 7 the number of people who voted for to observe the counting of the ASCS Barry Goldwater and Jamie Whltten votes. in the regular election. My friends picked me up at 8:30 But it didn't count. On January and we went to the courthouse. Wo 4, the Freedom Democratic Party is sat in front—of course, we were going to Washington, as they went looked at hard. We couldn't hear to Atlantic City in August, in or the names being called because the der to make this Freedom Vote man who was reading the ballots count. On that date, Congressmen seemed to choke whenever he had to who were elected in November are call out all-Negro ballots. supposed to take their seats in the United States Congress. But Aviva asked Mr. Stone to call the the Freedom Democratic Party (FDP) names a little louder. He aggeed feels that the Mississippi Cong but didn't seem too satisfied about ressmen do not have a right to be it. But he really got nervous when seated in Congress since they were Aviva challenged two of the white not elected by ALL the people of ballots belonging to Nicky and Mississippi but only by the white David Aklns who are both under 21. citizens and 5% of the Negro citi Both ballots were disqualified. zens of the state. Mr. Tony Fareso, our ever-present So on January 4, 1,000 Negroes county attorney, welcomed us by from Mississippi will go to Wash playing camera man. He took our ington to protest the seating of picture, telling us, "Smile,you're Mississippi's congressmen, while on candid camera." FDP lawyers will present their case before the public. MO VOTERS IN BEKlTON COUNTy This Thursday, December 17, at THERE ARE NO REGISTERED VOTERS IK 7:30, a special meeting will be BENTON COUNTY! Yes, it's true, held at Samuels Chapel to inform neither black nor white citizens of Benton county citizens of the de the county can vote. In addition, tails of the challenge and to e- the registrar's office is closed lect about ten people to go to and no one can take the voters test. Washington In January. Everyone in the county is urged to attend This is the latest development In this meeting. the U.S. government's suit against Mr. Mathis. Mr. Mathis has thrown Meanwhile, all citizens are away all the old books, and nobody urged to write letters to Mrs. can vote. Hamer who Is in Washington, tel ling her what we feel is wrong What remains to be done is to es with Mississippi and how we would tablish new rules for registering t like to see it changed. Her ad vote—rules that will be adminis dress is: tered equally to black and white. Freedom Democratic Party 1353 U Street All this was told to the citizens Washington, D. C. club last Tuesday night by Mr. Nicholas Flannery of the Justice FIND OUT MORE ON THURSDAY NISHT! Department. He will keep us posted df all further developments. w WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY • A Fairckild Publication w 7 East 12th Street, New York, N.Y., 10003 • AL 5-5252 D Dec. 26, 1964
Dear Nike - Thank you very much for your recent letter and solicitation for and on behalf of the Mississippi Summer Project. I am sorry I was unable to respond sooner but I was quite busy at the office and then came the holi days. However, I am, of course, in favdr of the project and am enclosing my check for §5 as a taken thereof. I wish I could con tribute more, You may be in town during the holidays but I figure you will go back right after the first and then find my letter. With every good wish for the New Year,
/Sincerely,
'ed Eichelbaum ^S&tr: ^zrvO' iyffl>nl/. t^te/ev^ ¥: -JZiwnA/ Vis** iu^/ur i^yt \P/t idp to+a. UtUvi.
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Michael Lipsky 607 West End Ave. New York 24, N.Y.
Miss Bobbi Dearbonii 100 Rust Ave. Holly Springs Miss. Dear BobM, Hello. The Lipsky mail tryIn keeps rolling. I'll forward these checks so long as they continue to come in. I've had SOTO really enth&siastic responses from contributors whole have been stunned to find that someone in Mississippi took the time to resppnd to their gestures at length. I hope you'll be able to continue to write these people letters. The northern pulMcity to the Antioch church building marathon was fantastic. Not only in the New York Times, which carried news from Ripley for two weeks straight, but also from the television news people. It is only a pity that some of the less happy Christmas stories in Mississippi didn't seem to draw the attention of the media. The newspapers are trying to lproject Mississippi as a state In transition--changing, even against its will. That, in my opinion, is the unfortunate by-product of the attention focused on the Church rebuilding crusade. Famer is now out of the country and harm's way. As 8ar as I could see, his lies concerning CORE sponsorship of the H.S. freedom play did not get much attention in New York. I know Cleve was concerned about It. Could you check one thing for rae? A lman named Milton Heimlich sent down a one hundred dollar check through me. As of last week he says he hadn't received acknowledgement of the check. Did you receive it? Please let me know quickly. It was sent in a batch of chefeks with a letter dated 8 Defc. lit pissed Cleve at CardLyrts wedding, but mostly at the parties, not at the ceremon&4s, where no one was missed. Say he4to to A iva for me, and tell Hardy to please avoid antagonizing Mr Sheriff Assh suh. NEW LOOT Jan. 7* 1965.
i. MP. Milton Taylor Caswell-Massey Hiarraacy, Inc., 518 Lexington Ave. New York 17, N.Y. $25 2. Mr. and Mrs. Peter J. Frank 106 Woodridge PI. Leonia, N.J. 07605 20 3. Me. Frederick Ilchelbaum c/o Women's Wear Daily 7 East 12th St. New York, N.Y. 10003 4. Mr. Josetti K. Reichbar* 4l East 42nd St. New Y°rk, N.Y. ttffi* 10017 50 5, Mr. and Mrs. Abbott Simon 610 West End Aye. New York 24, N.Y. 10 6. Wtaonah W. Ross 5 7. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Meyer 50 Riverside Drive New York, N.Y. 15 (nos. 7 and 8 are cash contrlbs and 8. Misc. 10 one check made out >o me which was torn. So I cashed it, andam $140 sending a $25 checkto cover these items. to*™**- , , * T3
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100 Rust Avenue Holly Springs, Hiss. February 5,1985
Hello out there, The last of our faithful newsletter writers just left (Prank and Boboie Dearborn flew hone to California to get married) so I guess this one's up to me. Since I*m not so efficient as to be able to find a copy of the-Inst newsletter, I can't follow up any unfinished business. In fact, I don't know when the last letter went out.' Peter Cummings arrived today to stay until Feb. 14, Hardy Fr3re Is scheduled to arrive yesterday with two girls from California. Fully and Woody got right to work as soon as they arrived last month. They were running around several counties setting up the statements for the lawyers bor the talcing of the depositions. They manned the fort with Frank and Bobbie while the rest of us went to Washington with the 500 or so people from the FDP. I understand they got a taste of the fun we have when a truck arrives cram packed with clothing to be unloaded. The New York tour of the Holly Springs Freedom School Theatre Guild was very sucessful. In addition to the money they raised for this and other projects, they raised about a thousand dollars for the rebuilding of the Antioch Church. (By the way, the church is finished except for the sanding and finishing of the floor and getting the furniture in it's loverlyi) The group really enjoyed seeing so many of the people who were down last summer. Yesterday and the day before the depositions of the friendly witnesses from Marshall, Benton, Tippah and Desoto Counties were taken. Join Farese was the councel for the bad guys and he really did a job. .He smooth talked our witnesses' into saying that everything was up to date in Benton County. But our councels and witnesses were prepared the next day. Hfifea Walker gave terrific testimony about her visits to the court house and they couldn't make her retreat a step. Cleve, Aviva and Ken Scudder testified, too. The depositions were taken at Rust College.' They wore most cooperative. Hot only did they provide space, first the trustees room and later Doxey Hall, but they allowed an instructor to take time off of classes to sit in as notary public. This was essential as we couldn't find another notary in all of ""arshall County. Today Bob Smith had the pleasure of serving subpoenas on the mayor, chief of police, the registrar, and "Flick" himself, and several other unfriendly witnesses to core to give testimony next Thurs., again at Rust, Aviva went to a basketball game at the Hegro High School in Benton and got herself arrested for tresspassing even though she paid to get in-. She's out on $1,000,00 bond put up by Hegro landowners in Benton, Freedom School classes have resumed at lit. Zion in Benton, have started In Ripley (Tippah County) and at H.t. Peel Church in Marshall County, Voter Registration heads the list of courses. Also Included is literacy, English, government and Hegro History. About two weeks ago Rev. Conoway and two professors from Rust College went to eat at Maurice's Resturant. They were refused service. They went on to the Hit china Post and had a good meal. The next day some fiust students, Lee Dllworth and Sandy Stovel Included, end Cleve and Bob Smith went back to Haurice's and were server1 with out incident. This week six Rust students .nl jrgrated Hitches I At the same time six students led by Lee went to Johnnies Rmsturant on Highway 78, south of Holly Spings. They returned about 15 minutes' later. Johnnie went to his truck and got his high powered rifle, loaded it and met the students at the door with the gun. Two other'men also got their high powered rifles and stood at the door. The students bravely turned around and left, The mayor, chief of police and the sheriff (Flick) were standing down the street watching as the incident- incident occurred. COFO is now Issuing a warrent for the arrest of Johnnie Taylor, Diana Roberson is leaving to co back to school, Rita Walker is the new office manager. All checks should be made out to Retta Walker rather than Bobbie Dearborn because Prank and Bobble are going to be working in Jackson when they return from California, Sandy Stovel is back at Rust and has been cooking ITS some good meals, Fred Meeley is now working Yalobusha County from his base in Lafayette. Cleve has taken over the direction of Quitman County (Harks) which brings the total back up to nine counties. We ever and always need cars and money. Our best reg"rds to all of you.
Freedom, The gang J10A
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jj^ -«/a^4-o7 100 Rust Avenue H oily Springs, Mississippi March 15, 1965
Dear fellow members of the great society,
We had a swinging, singing, screaming peaceful demonstration here in Holly Springs^ on Saturday, The march started in front of the Asbury Methodist Church with about 500 people lined up behind tho American flag. Throughout the line there were signs explaining why the people were demonstrating (i.e., protesting police brutality in Selma and Mississippi, job discrimination, lack of Negroes on the school board, etc.). The march went around the county courthouse square and then to city hall. Mayor Coopwood was there too meet the demonstrators (so was Flick).
Rev. Conoway read a strong petition to the Mayor, Then several people asked questions (none were answered). Chuck Holmes spoke up and told the feelings of the group olequently (as Coopwood reacted by lighting two cigarettes at once).
An objection was raised to the police car "leading" the march, (I must add that there was a Negro all dressed up in deputy's clothes riding in the police carl).
The marchers felt that they didn't want or need a police car to lead their demonstration. (Sheriff) Flick Ash gave orders for the police car to be removed.
The marchers then regrouped and marched back to the church. There were about
500 demonstrators including students from Rust College, M I College, Simms High
School, St. Mary's High School, local Holly Springs citizens, and citizens from
Marshall County at large, and some from Benton County, As we were marching, we were thinking how much some of you would have loved to have seen this in HS.
I've just been told that double spacing is too expensive, so you'll have to strain your eyes for the rest of this.
Since Wednesday (March 10) afrout 90^ of the kids of Old Salem Attendance Center in Benton County have been boycotting their school (attendance center?). The events leading up to the boycott are rather involved, but essentially what happened is this. The Citizens Club drew up a list of things that they didn't like about the school and made up a petition and a committee brought it to the Board of Education. After a couple visits it sort of boiled down to this* The Board seemed willing to give in to the demands of the committee (to fire t$s principal and four teachers) if tho Negroes would stay out of the white school and cafes. The committee said, "Nix, we're not here to discuss integration, but our demands. The Board gave no satisfaction,,,so the boycott was on. And still is on. The High School students have set up six freedom schools throughout the dounty. Some Rust College students have been helping them with the teaching.
Six local Holly Springs Negroes have been going to Metal Craft, an all white5 factory, every day for the past three weeks to apply for work. Today a Negro was hired...one of KS's biggest Uncle Toms,
The FDP in Union County has been concentrating on getting jobs for Negroes in the local factories. Last month they met with a little success, two Negroes were hired. One is Leonzia Siddell, chairman of the FDP.
Two factories that were formally all white in Tippah have hired six Negroes between them.
Two cafes were desegrated in Tippah. Mr. Arnie Prsther's son, home from the Nofcth for the weekend, desegrated one each day. As he left the second cafe, Sheriff Mauney and a deputy arrested him for jaywaIking. After talking to him for a few minutes, they found he had a car and let him go. He drove about 6 blocks and was arrested for reckless driving, going through a stop sign, speeding and finally contempt of court. He was released on |87900 bond. Of course, the bond is gone because he can hardly afford to return for the trial (even if there was a possibility of vanning).
Recent harressments to COFO workers:
Freed Meeley was beaten in Selma for breaking through a human baracade of police. He is now"resting" in jail. Howard was playing black state trooper after the march and was arrested for speed ing. A black state trooper is a COFO worker driving a car with an eight foot antena< Charged $40, On the way to Selma five SNCC cars got arrested for passing while on a bridge. They w°re each fined $40, ' . Then they itere told to ride five miles apart. Bob Smith, Holly Springs Project director, refused to do this and was arrested again, and Inter released, Aviva received a traffic ticket (in Mississippi talk, this means getting arrested for those that need an interpretation) for touching the yellow line. Again the fine WBIS about $40, (This might have been in the last letter).
Cleve is now program director for SNCC and is working out of Atlanta.
To our standing list of needs we must add people. We need people to work here now (not during the summer). It's no+ that we won(t need them during the summer, but the point is that we need them right now.
This week we have five volunteers from Buffalo who are spending their early Spring vacation with us. (Just in time to help out with the freedom schools in Benton).
We hope to be hearing from you.
Freedom,
The ga ng Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee March 25, 1965 8| Raymond St. N.W. Atlanta, Georgia
To: Summer Volunteers From: Esther Heifetz, Northern Campus Coordinator
Right now with the probable passing of the President's voting legislation, we have a special need for you to work to build up an informed public that understands better what a speech like President Johnson made March 1$ means, or understands what the voting bill will mean or not mean once passed AND understands what the effect of the Challenge is is and why it is still important and cannot be forgotten in the hustle of the new voting legislation.
Since yon were in MLssissipai last summer you have a special understanding of the significance of the MFDP and the Challenge. And from your personal experiences you are capable of speaking from personal experience and winning increased support.
We are in desperate need of funds, and we are asking for your help. If you are already working with a Friends of SNCC group, try to get it going in a special effort to build up funds. They could begin fund raising for specific items such as cars, buses, audio-visual equipment, and telephones. A new idea is the setting up of a "Freedom Pot," in the campus or downtown area for which a goal is set, ie. $3,000 and people are asked to put in money each day. If not connected with a Friends of SNCC group, you might arrange speaking engagements for yourself in which you could simultaneously raise support for the Challenge and solicit funds.
Having been a summer volunteer you should especially understand the needs of SNCC—community education and extra funds. I hope that we can count on your support. Route 2, Box 114 Grand Junction, Tennessee May 7, 1965 Dear^?<^U>6^ The members of the Benton County Citizens Club are inviting you to Mississippi this summer to work with us in Benton County. Your name has been*suggested by one of the members of the Club, and we feel that since we know you and you know us, we would like to have you working with us this summer. Since I am the secretary of the Citizens Club, they asked me to write you. The purpose of this invitation is to ask you to help us with several programs we have planned for this summer. We need qualified people to work with us, since the poor educational system for Negroes in Mississippi has resulted in a lack of qualified and skilled people. You will be sponsored by the Citizens Club of Benton County which comprises about 80$ of the Negro population of this county. I shall try to acquaint you with the movement here—with what we have done and what we hope to accomplish this summer—with your help; In the area of voter registration, we had quite a large number of people going to the courthouse to take the voter registration test and failing it. As a result, the Justice Department brought suit against the county registrar for discriminating against Negro applicants. The suit was brought last December, the registrar admitted to a pattern and practice of discrimination, and it was decided that the suit would be settled out of court. It is still pending, and we expect that it will be settled by this summer, ••'hen this happens, there will be a complete re-registration of the whole county. This will involve about 1500 Negro adult citizens—about 50$ of the entire population of the county(Benton County has a population of 7,000—about half of which are Negro, and half of which is adult). Last autumn we ran candidates for the A.S.C.S. (cotton committee) elections. In these elections we won an entire community (3 members), which was the best results of any county in the state. However, if we are to have real power on this committee (which determines cotton allotments), we must win at least 3 entire communities. The next elections will be this coming autumn, and we will need help this summer in preparing for these elections by setting up precinct and area organizations with lists of all eligible farmers. In March we had a school boycott in order to overthrow the present school administration (the principal and four teachers). The boycott waa 90$ effective, and the Board of Education gave in to our demands. As a result, the Negro school now has a new principal who is favorable to civil rights, and we would like help in working with him to make the school a place where our children can receive a truly decent education. Ve have a school integration suit pending, and we expect to have several students integrating the white school in July (in Benton coun ty, school is held in the summer and gets out in the fall for cotton- picking). These students will need your help—not only with tutoring, - 2 - but also with helping the students get over the psychological effects that going to an integrated school will undoubtedly have. We have a weekly ne;/spaper, the Benton County Freedom Train, that the citizens of the county write artlcleFTbr. We need help in train ing people in writing news stories for the paper. We have a Negro History section in the paper, and we would like to begin writing a Benton County Negro history section. Most of the younger generation knows nothing about the Negro history of the county. People in the f70's and 80Ys remember when Negroes owned most of the land in the county, when there was a Negro postmaster, and th many lynchings that took place in the f30's and '40fs. But none of this is written down. We do know that Benton county was founded in 1872, which was during Roeonotruction, and we wonder how much power Negroes had in the county at that time, and we wonder how this power and land was taken from them. .le need trained people to go around the county and talk to some of our older citizens and (hopefully) to get access to documents in the courthouse. /e hope by the end of the summer to have a history of the county written.
One of our main problems is in the field of farming—our county is a completely rural county. 'Je all raise cotton, but the cotton market goes down each year, v/e need to learn about new crops and new methods of farming. :re have a large number of Negro landowners and would like to set up cooperatives for raising cattle, for buying cotton- pickers and combines for raising soybeans, and for experimenting with new crops. We have done nothing in this area up to now because we just don't have anyone with the skills. We hope to get people down here this summer who can help us with these problems. As a result of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, new jobs are opening up throughout the state. Also, federal agencies are desegregating their staffs, We need help both in training people to quqlify for these jobs and in writing to the proper federal department about employers who refuse to hire Negroes, We would also like help in contacting northern industries in an attempt to get them to locate their plants in our county. Of course, Freedom Schools are one of our greatest needs. We had one freedom school last summer, and in autumn and winter, we had a college prep class. We need qualified people to teach Negro history, literacyjto adults and school dropouts), and English. We would also like to re-establish the college-prep class for our brightest high school juniors and seniors who would like to go to good colleges but have not been given adequate education. And we would like help in training our own people to take over the freedom schools at the end of the summer. Much needs to be done in the field of political education. We have a county-wide Freedom Democratic Party organization, and we would like to hold workshops in county, state and federal government operation, running candidates in elections, supporting moderate white candidates, poll-watching, etc. One area which we haven't been able to touch is that of communicating with the white community. We would like help In breaking down the barriers between the races, and especially in getting thepoor white farmer to see that the Negro is not his enemy. - 3 - These are the main programs which we would like your help with. Fe hope that at least one of them interests you and that you will come down this summer to work with us. The people im the county will house and feed you. We have rDom for at least 20 volunteers. It would be great If you can bring your own car, but if not, we will take care of that. You should have your own spending money—you won't need much; cigarettes will probably be your largest expense. Benton county is a dry county, so you won't have to worry about bringing down enough money for beer. You may want to go to Memphis once in a while to relax—you will need money for that. If you get arrested, the people in the county will raise your bail— if you do not have any bail sources in the North. Your clothing needs will be: mainly caaual clothes with one or two outfits for church. It will be best for boys not to wear bermudas and girls not to wear shorts while working in the community—but they're perfectly okay for relaxing around the house. It would be wise to get shots before coming down: polio, tetanus, and vaccination. Medical facilities are poor or non-existant around here. If you have a sleeping bag, flash light, and first-aid kit, bring them. (Nobody will have to sleep in a sleeping bag permanently—every worker will have his own bed). Any equipment you can bring with you to help implement any of our programs will be greatly appreciated, especially Negro history books, good books of all types, paper, pencils, stencils (the kind with four holes), and typewriters (electric would be of great use for the sten cils). We will begin training volunteers June 1. So come anytime after that date. If you are coming by train or bus, or plain, let us know ahead and we will meet you. If you are driving, we will send direc tions. To contact us by phone, call Henry Reaves, Ashland, Miss. 224- 8520, Cars should have locked hoods and locked gas caps. You will be oriented by a committee of the Citizens Club. We will all be working xtfith the statewide Freedom Democratic Party in Jackson, which is sponsoring the project. You can orient yourself somewhat by reading the following books (available in paperback): Lillian Smith, Killers of the_._Drea_mj _C. Van Woodward, The Strange Career of Jim Crow; Cash, The Mind of the South, and W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls of Black Folk. Please let us hear from you soon. We are saving a bed for you, and we sincerely hope you will be able to spend the summer with us in Benton County. . . ^f$JblM^ /t^c ^=f Fnrlrrntnrl 100 Rust Avenue Holly Springs, Miss. May 14, 1S65 Dear Friends of Freedom, "Tell, here we are in our usual desperate straits, only more desperate than usual. As we write, Howard Jeffries is sitting in jail. His bond is $100. That's only the beginning. Insurance on the freedom house expired on May 5. The insurance man told cur landlord, Mrs. Heal that he couldn't continue insuring the house because it's run down. It's not. The porch is a little caved in from numerous shipments of books having been unloaded on it, but otherwise it's in good shape. And we've spent a lot of money on it - having the whole house rewired, etc. The old insurance rate was $100 for three years. The new quoted rate is §300 for one year. If we can't raise the money we'll be evicted! Can anyone help? Either money or a cheaper policy or both. IJETTS: Somehow we forgot to mention in the last newsletter that St. Joseph's Church in Marshall County was burned on February 22. There's a picture enclosed. The church had been used weekly for freedom school and voter registration classes, so as usual it was probably no accident - though, as usual, there were no clues as to who might have done it. The local peopic really want to rebuild their church; but, of course, they don't have enough money. We're also sending a picture of beautiful new Antioch Church which the Oborlin kids rebuilt during Christmas vacation. The other picture is the Baptist College that was burnt last summer after some union organizing meetings. Might as well get all the bad news over at once. Bobbi and Prank are leav ing Saturday to go to school in California. They have their Negro history book finished and it will be printed by the next newsletter. ITe'hope to sneak you all a copy. We hope everyone thinks it is worth a little money, too. James Batts, a local Benton County Hegro, has gone to school in Pennsylvania. We lost 3 workers but gained 4. Chuck and Sherric 'Tanner came from Denver, Colo. Ron Carver and Eddie Mackey came from other projects. Kathy (Dalh) and John Pappoiner have just spent a week of their honeymoon with us. Tomorrow they will be on their way to California. It seemed like the good ol' days with her back. A number of the old staff have been asking us if the summer project will be like the one we had last summer. Plans for Mississippi are to have a summer project run through FDP rather than COFO. Partly because some people have been dissatisfied with the way last summer's project evolved through the year. But the main reason is that we feel that the local people are ready to organize'for themselves. We can supply some knowledge and skills (and time) they don't have, but they'll be in charge of operations. TTorkers will live with local people rather than in project houses. Local people will decide what programs the volunteers are to work on. For further information, Yirrite tos Freedom Democratic Party 507 l/2 Farish Street Jackson, Mississippi The state office was here in Holly Springs. It was moved back to Jackson but three staff decided to stay here and are planning a summer program, '."/hat the project gained from this whole maneuver was a little cottage that is perfect for the married couples. Desoto County has finally been opened up to Howard and Ron. They have two mass meetings each week. The first Negro since last summer went down to register at the courthouse today. Ron, a white -worker, visited the Hegro school today. There were 9 staff.pec pie that went to a meeting Thursday night in Desoto County. This was the first time that anybody had ever been able to have a meeting in that part of the county. So the sheriff with 4 others in the car came out. to the Meeting and just pulled up in front of the church so we would be sure to see*them. Wullj wonder if the next meeting will go that smooth. The students and parents of old Salem School, Benton, County, carriod on • successful school boycott. They asked for a new principal, a committee (which they elected) to advise the principal and four teachers fired. They will have a new principal and teachers fired and the committee is serving as a liaison between the school and community. They are now filing to have the schools integrated. Another thing about Eenton County. You can get the "Benton County Freedom Train" for $10 a year. All the back issues will be sent too. "Supporting Subscrip tions" might be an interesting way for somebody you know that is interested in the movement. Send money to "Benton County Freedom Train", Route 2, Box 100$ Holly Spgs* Specify whether you want the subscription to begin with the latest issue or to. _ include all back issues. The kids in Tippah County tested several restaurants with no incidents. Suppose you heard about our little run into Fayette County, Tenn,, last week. Sid, Hardy, Chuck, Howard and John (Kathy's husband) went to help give the Fayette County Student Union a little backing at their request. During the inte gration of one of the restaurants in Sommerville, some fighting broke out* Two local and two staff people wore beaten, one stabed and one man had scalding coffee poured down his back. Later three warrants were finally sworn out against men who were in the cafe. TITO weeks ago a white man shot at Hardy with a shot gun. Hardy reported it to the sheriff. The sheriff Said that the man was shooting at black birds* Hardy is black but I don't knovj- about the bird. U.Z. finally has his driver's license. He tried eight times. I wonder how many times Howard will have to take the voter's test? As IT.Z. was leaving the sheriff's office Ash stopped him and asked him what did he ^.vant. U.Z. said, "I came to take my driver's test." Ash, "Did you pass?" U.Z. "Yes." Ash, "Nigger break your jawbone and say 'yes sir'." U»Z. "Yes, sir.*' Moral of the story, we are all Tom once in a while. There has been a big addition to the COFO family. Our bird dog has just had 10 pups under the freedom house. FROM THE NEEDY GROUP OF MISSISSIPPI ST. JOSEPH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH Coir..'.you give this to a church or some group that would be interested in rebuilding the church or supplying some of our monetary needs.. For more information contact Holly Springs COFO office* Size of church before burned - 24* wide by 30' long Size to rebuild - 24' by 30», 10' walls Should seat between 80 and 100 people MUST HAVE: Double doors in the front of the church Single doors in the rear of church Three windows down each side of church It will take the sum of 8,245 bricks to rebuild the church. Price approximately $250 Woodwork needed not counting church furniture would cost approx* $650# Nails, we think we can get free*. Labor, the question of labor has not been answered yet* We hope most of it will be free. Henry Cooper is the name of the local person who will most likely be in charge of the rebuilding. • We hope and feel that $1,500 can rebuild St. Joseph Church. We need approxj $900 to get started. • Church members to contact: Rev. W* P. Lee, Minister Rev. W. B, Millian, Deacon .Brof B?»om Wilson, D, 3514 Ashford Rd. Rt. 3, Box 101A Rt. 3, Box ICO Memphis, Tenn. Byhalia, Miss. Byha^iaf Miss* •« Written, by Hardy T... Erye Holly Springs COFO Project July 6, 19 65 Dear baby, "hat's happening? You haven't written to me yet-sdi and I'm waiting. JbsxSbc What's moving in the "ig Apple? very, very early in the morning: okay, something happened in the uiet town of Pine Bluff, Ark. Two'of our bovs were just arrested and beaten by the city policemen. One of them is the most gentle, sweetest, most wonderful guy—a white from Indianapolis , with soft blond hair and big blue eyes—who everybody loves. They dragged him around by the hair and beat hlmT three or four of them—with their fists. I-^an't stand that thought of those brutes, those twisted, distorted brutes with their hands on suffh a person, or any person. Treating people like human beings—that is the key...It's so simple what*we are fighting for. _So simple. That people should not be treated like-amnimals but \tfith the dignity of human beings.It's so simple, so basic,. so r-lear, .. that it almost seems stupid (actually tragi0) that'so m u°h teia blood has been shed, over it. But it's been a long, Ions struggle that has been going on for hundreds of years. Why?? Why can't we build—be free to build? Jim Jones said to me— it wouldn't be any fun. We had a small party with John Lewis and Julian Bond when they were in town for a mass meeting. And we talked about many things. But mainly got high. So much to tell—about this town , which is a very interesting place and, in mapy ways, ak key to the way the Movement is going to have to go. And about the people I'm working with, who are all so different and yet, with whom there is already a great love and communit,y of feeling ( in spite of some personality conflicts and anti-white hostilities) The story about last night is that a group of fiveg guys, three Negro and two waites,wwent into a plafe to get something to eat . What is ironic is that they had tested fchrs plare the day before with a group of all Negroes and been served. This time, they simply were hungry . And the manager said she feaxi to serve the Negroes but she would not serve the white folks and they would" have to leave. Tfeey refused j first she pulled out 3 pistol and then called the police. They went limp and were dragged o|rt to the police caw, taken to jail and beaten. It is now a few days later, we're tried to organize around the issue of police brutality. Aside' from the two guys, there have been many other inci dents of beatings, muggings, etc, by the police of local Negroes. We* TO had a picket line for the last three days around the oMice station and city ho 11 and are planning q m*ss meeting =nd demonstrations. ^•.oe-Bluff is- city, not the small, rural town that I had expected to be working in. It's a plice that SNCC has beer, in for two years ormrore, hea already had big demonstrations and arrests, etc. and is now more or less asleep. Our goal is to wake it up again, and t his time, really create* a grass-ro ots organization that can carry on when the demonstrations stop. vork on the issue of political power, on jobs, on getting streets paved, and also the establishment of a community center with freedom school teaching and meetings. Sometl e'e, I feel frustrated. But I also feel very much in it. And so much love for the people I'm working with-staff and local folks. Just to watch them and listen yfco them, and have the time to do this (as opposed th when I'm in school, when I have so little tine to listen to people just being themselves). I love to listen to the teenage boys who hang around here ( our freedom house, where we live). They are a bunch of hoodlums, but su".rch great kids, and it's such a joy to wstch thejr growing involvement in the movement. The other day I went to a small, rural town about I4O miles from here. Our project director preaches in a church down there and three guys are working down there now. That was wonderful. I wqs immediately surrounded by about 10 children, who didn't leave me the whole fiime I was there.0 And a great woman who used to be an organizer for the Southern Tenant Farmers' Union. So much more. I KISS YOU. You are very much inside me. Really. T want to he with vou, »lthmgh r_ vts^Jv^- \^^ <*. s:cr=»} POLICE BRUTAL/TY On Saturday July 10th, two civil rights workers were severely beaten in the city jail by members of the Pine Bluff Police Force. Recently, two Negro women were beaten by police during arrest procedures. These are only two examples of the traditional manner in which the police of this community deny citizens of Pine Bluff their basic rights. THE ONLY WAY TO OBTAIN JUSTICE IN PINE BLUFF, IN ARKANSAS, AND IN ALL THE UNITED STATES IS TO RID OUR POLICE FORCE OF THESE INHUMANE OFFICIALS AND RE PLACE THEM WITH MEN WHO WILL PROTECT AND RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF ALL CITIZENS. THE PINE BLUFF MOVEMENT 100 Rust Ave. Holly Springs, Miss. July 9, 1965 Dear Michael : We are in trouble we ate dry bread for three days , and it was not because we wanted to it was because we couldn't do no better. So if you can get any thing to send us please send it right away. I am sure you want to know what we are doing now . We are working on school Desegregation and voter Registration. As you may know they have a Injuction against the registor. in Marshall county and -Benton. We are also workeing on a union and strikes. But we cant work on any thing without money you know how mutch it take to make it here. We have sent news letters and no body seem to care any mote so Aviva told me to write to you and she was sure you would send something to us to live on for a while.And if this is true please send it right away^ Ho yes I would like to tell you something that happn to me I carried my little boy, to the all white school, and that was on Friday and that Sat. aite my Father was hit by a car crossing the street by the office, he was hit by a white man . It broke his collar bone and ankle. That Mon, I had a phone call sayeing well I guess you will take that black son of a bitch out of our school now . I called the op. and ask her to trace the call and she told me she had no way of traceing a call. What could I do at that point. But I will never turn back. Your Truly Rita Walker 21 8th St NE Washington, DC 10 August 65 Dear Michael: Here, very "belatedly, is the $200 you so graciously loaned me. I hope you haven't teen in difficulties from the delay; I bet you wouldn't have asked for it for ages, though you certainly should have. I went to Juarez a couple of Fridays ago, after reading of the NY Court of Appeals decision regarding Mexican divorces and consulting a lawyer friend here. Cheaper, quicker, better climate that Alabama. Just finished up the last of the tequila last night. So I'm really single now. I don't feel at all different, except that when I have reason to refer to Richard, I have to stop and think and not call him "my husband." The actual divorce, in Juarez, incidentally, was all handled through secretaries—the lady secretary of my Mexican lawyer introduced me to the male secreatary of the judge, I signed twice where she showed me, and it was nver. "Now would you like to buy some souvenirs, lady?" she asked me. Much too quick a process to be sordid. (I did buy souvenirs, and I swam in the Hilton's pool for two hours before my plane left; la dolce vita.) I find myself on the verge of quitting SNCC. The adjustment from running things in Princeton (although "things" were rather loose and pastoral there) to simply fund-raising, about which I know little, to sitting in that smelly office, to not going to Leadership Conference meetings, talking to people about SNCC (as opposed to judging their financial worth)—is all too much. Couple that with a monstrous in formation gap: I no longer get the phone calls, the WATS reports, the press releases, so I am no longer on top of things. But the kicker now is that even if I did get the information, go to meetings, do some press work, etc., I find myself at the point of not having anything to say any more. The magic is gone—temporarily, I'm sure. But now all SNCC's faults dazzle me and distract me from the good things. Two last straws: our wavering on the peace issue (first we endorse the SDS march, and I have to explain that even though I don't particularly agree with it, then Moses puts the WAsh SNCC address on all his stuff for the Assy of Unrepresented People and E&N go wild, and we're still trying to explain the convergence of cr and peace, although I'm still uneasy, then John Lewis issues a statement of separateness from peace—just about 2 months too late) and a SNCC guy named Willie Ricks who declared he was moving in to some county in Georgia to fix it up after SCLC had screwed up things (this made the Wall St Journal, big). So I think I look for nice job with Congressman and provide volunteer help to SNCC with specific parties or other events. All I do now when I see people I like is to cry on their shoulder, and I don't think SNCC should be paying me for that. If I were of tender age, I would go back to school, but I can't, and don't particularly want to. I can't wait till you come and see my neighborhood in action now that Tony's here. He's been home from a day camp for days since he came because of a case of infected poison ivy; there have been a minimum of three, an average of six, and sometimes nine kids in and out of here all the time. So far they've been all the white kids from this building or on the left, but yesterday he threw a stone at a Negro kid from the right of the building, and suddenly, after I was summoned to deal with it, started to play with those kids. This morning a Negro boy came and knoeked on the door to ask him to play (he was at camp, finally)—so I think we're on the move, now. Tony, by the way, is undisputed king of the block now because of the number of toys he has; the white kids have few, and I think the Negroes have virtually none. I was in Princeton-NY last weekend, but I didn't have your number or address with me, and neither does Information. By the way, regarding your car, Griggs Corner American cannot get a junk dealer to take it, but he has had offers to buy it, for $50 or so—but he can't sell it because of the way you made over the papers, thinking that is was going to be junked. So it still sits. (He had to get a new battery for it; the old one wouldn't recharge, by the way.) So would you do us all a favor and telephone or write Howard (don't know last name), Griggs Corner American, corner of With. & Hulfish Sts. and find out how yott correct the papers so he can sell it—and I think that the Freedom Center might clear twenty bucks or so. I'll send this to your parents' house, in case you've checked out of 5^0. I assume you are now dark brown, with the standard number of volley ball scars. Many, many thanks for the loan; I think I'm in perfectly good shape now—and I'll be even better once I go to work for real people. I really think I should get out before I get bitter. love- fCtD EIGHTY-NINTH CONGRESS OMAR BURLESON, TEX., CHAIRMAN SAMUEL N. FRIEDEL, MD. GLENARD P. LIPSCOMB, CALIF. ROBERT T. ASHMORE, S.C. ROBERT J. CORBETT, PA. WAYNE L. HAYS, OHIO CHARLES E. CHAMBERLAIN, MICH PAUL C. JONES, MO. CHARLES E. GOODELL, N.Y. Pousse of Bepresientattoea, WL.t FRANK THOMPSON, JR., N.J. WILLARD S. CURTIN, PA. WATKINS M. ABBITT, VA. SAMUEL L. DEV1NE, OHIO JOE D. WAGGONNER, JR., LA. JOHN N. ERLENBORN, ILL. Committee on ?£ouse gbmtmstratton CARL D. PERKINS, KY. WILLIAM L. DICKINSON, ALA. JOHN H. DENT, PA. Hasfjington. J3.C. SAM M. GIBBONS, FLA. LUC1EN N. NEDZI, MICH. JOHN BRADEMAS, 1ND. JOHN W. DAVIS, GA. AuRUSt 17 , 1965 KENNETH J. GRAY, ILL. £*W^««W */ , A. S v ~ AUGUSTUS F. HAWKINS, CALIF. JONATHAN B. BINGHAM, N.Y. JULIAN P. LANGSTON, CLERK Mr. Michael Lipsky 607 West End Avenue New York 24, New York Dear Mr. Lipsky: Your letter of August 10, directed to Honorable Emanuel Celler, Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary, was forwarded to the Committee on House Admin istration for reply. You request the three volumes of testimony recently presented in connection with the contested elections in Mississippi. All of the official documents pertaining to these election contests have not been received to date. Approximately three weeks remain in the period of time allotted the contestees for the filing of their additional brief. Until such time as the Committee receives all of the official documents and has an opportunity to go into these cases, such documents will not be available for public distribution. With best wishes, I am Sincerely yours, (OrTUUt JULAAJ-JL**^, Omar Burleson Chairman 100 Rust Avenue »eth Horwitt lonn. Dear Elisabeth and other; received the money y-all sent t it. It I: it by - ley to or so le thi, e are doing here . ire woi on election and w tration, any other pr ederal registrar in ton cot sh is our countys, We are not havenj in Marshall nc . d a lot re . vn to tot one of our bo, . lly r; , 'J in %enton county, ia county of all 14 5 . be 1 bett te counti 11 "Deoota Benton Layfett t- ooi . heir" is a that int aool. list and y r tell what rom the list.And I would like to sap to you a] ney you sent i y-ali cont:' tik of us, d 1 r this project, Now I would like to . te of what it : tnd he al all of us down h ue, 1.7 October 1, 1965 Dear Friends of Freedom, Well, here we are - more desperate than ever. Flick and his boys finally "raided" the office. Most of the staff was in Dee Cee for the challenge, at the time. Those who were here are Sid Walker, Annais McGhee, Ra nsom Moore, and a teacher from Rust College. Here's a quick run-down of what happened. Friday night, September 17th, the cops appeared at the front door with a search,warrant. At the same time, several of them came in thru the back. They had received a "tip that untaxed whiskey could be found here." They walked into the front office - nothing. Stepped into the back office and lo and behold, sitting on the desk was a gallon of corn liquor - we think someone came in thru the back and put it there, (everyone was in the front.) Well, they hauled Sid off to the pokey but not before they did a thorough job of wrecking the office. Even broke into the money closet. The case has been removed to federal court - comes up in February. So far, we've paid $500.00 cash bond, and. didn't even get to smell the booze. Looks like it's gonna be a long cold winter....Been having a little trouble with the Fitch boys. Rita Walker, Diana Roberson, and Burt Roseman (a medical student from Iowa) were standing in front of their service station. They were eye-witnesses.to an automobile accident involving some Negro guys and two white girls. The girls were clear ly at fault - they rammed smack-dab into the other car. In between tears, one of the girls kept screaming that she wanted everyone to sign a release that no one was hurt - very emotional. To cut this short - Rita, Diana, and Burt advised the people not. to sign anything. The Fitch boys stepped in and ordered them to "get up yonder where you belong." They were forced to flee the scene to save Burt from being assaulted by big bad Bobby Fitch. Annais McGh.ee and Dr. Luenzli (teacher at Rust), were arrested for "terreriring" the local welfare agent. Both were found guilty and have appealed the case. U.Z. Nunnelly stopped for a red light in front of the post office. Deputy Roach was parked in front of the bank. He drew his gun, and holding it out the window said to the driver in back of U.Z., "shoot, that's a COFO worker up there." Needless to say, that was the longest red light U.Z. ever sat thru. Roach has been burning a lot of gas, riding up and down Rust Ave. be tween the office and 200, where the state office used to be. The week of the 13th this was a daily thing. That Friday a white guy from Benton County was seen outside the office ;he appeared to be copying something off the building. Could it be they're trying to steal our SNCC handshake emblem? As I've already mentioned, that night our office was raided The month of September has been one of "massive reconnoitering" on the part of the opposition. We've had daily visits from rednecks - sever al from Tippah County, where the KL.AN has recently reappeared. They have been having mass rallys and also sending out warnings, which begin with "NIGGER BEWARE" Latest headlines in the 'South Reporter' read "Benton County Offi cials Seeking Aviva Futorian" - "Untaxed Liquor Confiscated At 100 Rust Avenue""- "Cofo Worker Arrested;Jailed In Benton County"(Bob Feinglass) - "Two Appear In City Court On Several Counts" (Annais McGhee and Dr. Kuenzli). Federal registrars will start registering voters in Benton County next week. The people have a "freedom train" (decorated bus) and cars lined up to converge on the courthouse. Terrible Tate has a Freedom Rally scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 7th. We're all looking forward to hearing Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer. She's coming up on Friday, the 8th to speak at a Freedom Rally at Asbury Church. On the 9th, a massive Freedom Day is planned. As you all know, we lost the challenge. Rednecks now think they have the go ahead to terrorize us even more so, bu+ we're still pushin - harder then ever. Marshall County is working on its first publication of the "Marshall County Freedom News". Fight now we plan to have an issye every two weeks. Of course this will take f$$l and we'll be glad to accept con tributions to keep this going. We'd love to send y'all the first is sue but our funds are low. The FDP in Marshall County is attempting; to set up a Freedom Labor Union. We also have the ASCS elections"to keep us hopping. We still need a lot of the same ole things. PLFASE TRY TO SFND SOME* THING MONEY FOOD BLANKETS TYPEWRITER RIBBONS AND PAPER MAGIC MARKERS (PREFERABLY BLACK) STENCILS SCISSORS FLASHLIGHT AND BATTERIES MIMEO INK AND ALL SIZES MIMEO PAPER for the "Freedom News" BALL POINT PENS DISH TOWELS ALAPM CLOCK SCOTCH TAPE Incidentally, Hardy Fry is due in sometime this winter. Hope to hear from y'all real soon! FROM THE NEEDY GROUP OF MISSISSIPPI >*-**» UOkjL ^^° ^ sQ^ JJ^ ^ Jgfa yz^^e ^t^y ^^Z^J W£SL> ^~Zz&>&£e-r ^^yf^ y^s -^^ ~* :^ A^*> ^^ ^^^ -tr ^ y^^ ^a&, 0 ^^ ^g&J .^^ JZUV /Z^X ^*W^ ^yyn {Jtg^rt^y 6-h^J <&*ZJ? /^> J&i? c^cy^J -tz ~^-y Sg/*£r -^tLtULS ^W/// U9/1 " / x L ^ MJ ^^ ^^^ ~^ ™ "-y^^ ^ •*> ^A ~^^i^ <^ ^/^^ ^^ ^^ ^^J jzki^ ^^^ **&^ yrja^i t^&pJ ^4^1 ^Z%**> _^^^ -^ ^J ^J <* ^ ^~> ^^ J****** fi^& ^^ t***^ ^ ^*^ '<£" ^ :-^y s%^^ /p^^^J Z)^^^ ^ ^° <^ /V O^ ^ ~~^ ^ -^^ ^w^ ^ <*> a_- ^ ^^ ^4< ^^ ^—^ <^W^ ^^_^ <^W^ $0$ ttLujttf.itetLuJL. ^fltn6Lm/*A,/l M# ^t^rxj //J^ _ FREEDOM NET'T3 2-21-66 Hello, people, this is more Freedom News coming your way to remind you that freedom still rings from the red hills of Mississippi, In January of '66 many people from various counties attended a meeting in Edwards, Mississippi to express the desperate need of financial aid. Mrs, Modenia Malone was so excited about the meeting until she turned her restaurant over to her daughter and went to the meeting. Mrs. Malone now works at the F. D. P. Office, Mr. Earnesst Richmond, a Negro man, has filed a 1.5 million dollar suit against the Marshall County Sheriff. Mr. Richmond states that he was beaten on April 9 by some of the deputies while parked in a private driveway, Don Jelinek and Alvin J. Bronstein are the two prosecuting the case. The date of the trial has not been set.v Mr. Richmond states that he has been threatened since. It seems that the Cap Committee has had difficulties.Because the qualified Negroes that worked on the Committee did not accept going half way, the whole thing has been thrown out. Here in Holly Springs, the farmers are having a problem getting the Commodities. Some of the people from the F, D. P. Office went out in Marshall County to talk to the people and ask why they did not get it. Some of the people said that Mr. Buchanan did not talk pleasantly at all, and he told them that they had cars and they were disqualified. One of the men said that Mr, Buchanan told him that he had been too nice to his family and he did not ever think that any of them would try to put pressure on him. The Welfare Department is now under investigation, La.st week in Memphis, Tennessee, ten Negro boys were charged with mass rape. Eight were convicted and two acquitted. Five of the boys were sentenced to a death penalty, and three were sentenced to ninety-nine years in prison, Mr. Sid Walker was very upset about this, and he wondered if these berry-black men could get justice, just as the iilly-white man who raped two Negro kids here In Holly Springs, age nine and twelve, and the lllly— white man who killed Immick Tear, Chaney, Goodman, Schwerner,Sammy Younge and many others. Even the Klansman who admitted in Washington to the killing and bombing that he had done, only got one year in prison. He also got a Christmas visit home to his family. Mr. Walker wrote to the Justice Department to see if these boys and all other persons could get justice, too. During the past month we have two new people working with F.D.P. in Holly Springs (Wanda Burton and James Stevenson), and we would appreciate help such as money, clothing, etc.. ^eA^£ **4*4^ Jfa^ i FCR IMMEDIATE RELEJ\SE Clifton R. Whitley Candidate for U.S, Senator Januray 9, 1966 Freedom and democracy are fundamental to the political idealogy of every Mis- sijssippian and every American. Yet they are unrealities in some of the basic cate gories of life in Mississippi and the Nation. The degree to which they are unreal ities is shocking. They are unreal in politics, economics, education, and in the social sphere. To understand the implication here one must recognize that we have the machinery in which freedom and democracy may be realized. But the machinery has not functioned for a shockingly high percentage of the people of this State. It has not functioned, at all for the Negro. At this very moment our State Legislature is again carrying on its phony business of instant law making. This time it is concerned with making it more difficult, if not impossible, for a Negro candidate to get his name on the ballot, and to keep Negroes out of Mississippi politics in general. All responsible Mississippians are aware of the action of the legislature over the past four years and the number of instant laws, and the character of those laws, that it produced. The concern of our lawmakers over the past four years has been the concern of racists, trying at any cost to "keep the Negro in his place." It is comical -what strange mixtures of data and intention they mix in order to get these instant laws. The logic employed is that of the segregationist mind. When they cry out hypocritic ally for law and order they mean for the Negro to be respectful of especially those laws, while the same laws have no possibility of applying to them with equal force. They want a strange kind of order. A kind, that by any other definition means chaos. What they untimately want is for the Negroes and whites that are impartial in their reasoning to accept the status quo without criticism or protest. The civil rights revolution has demonstrated, in Mississippi and the rest of the South, that freedom and. democracy do not exist for the Negro, or for a shockingly high percentage of white persons. It is time, therefore, for all Mississippians to protest the lawless character of our State, and to do something to bring about a con dition of law and order in our State that is free of racial characteristics. For we have all been outraged by the undemocratic and "police"character of Mississippi over the past years. As human beings, the Caucasians as well as the Negroes of Mississip pi, deserve an atmosphere in which we can all hold up our heads and walk upon this great land in freedom and dignity, and in an atmosphere of law and order in the highest ethical and moral sense possible. My candidacy is ultimately dedicated to this. The economic, political, social and. educational life of the people of Mississippi has been dictatorially controlled by a hand full of illegitimately powerful men for too long. This hand full of men has been successful in politically manipulating both Caucasians and Negroes for more than one hundred years. The people that are now wil ling and able to say "down with this kind of tyranny" must recognize that certain changes in the political structure of our State must take place in order to guarantee freedom and democracy to all of our people. VJe live in the Twentieth Century. The ethical, moral, religious, and political character of which makes a politic uncouth and criminal that denies one the blessings of democracy and prosperity because he is too poor to pay a $2,00 Poll Tax Fee, or be cause he cannot sign his nome because of a "sun stroke" that he had a year ago, or because he was denied an education two or more decades ago, or because he was born black, or brown, or gold, or some other color. Race has dominated, the politics of Mississippi, in a negative way, for too long. Racism must no longer dominate the politics of our State. State governors, other state officials and our United States Senators and Congressmen have run and have been elected to office, on segregation dominated platforms, on one hand, and on sheer personality on another for too long, Mississippians have not seriously voted for issues for over one hundred years. Economically and politically, we are still paying the price of that error. That error is basically responsible for the political and economic inadequacies of our State, for the shame that every responsible and intelj- ligent Mississippian should feel by having been so grosely misled, and for the engage ment of many who now know they were simply and clearly denied the opportunity to do so , My candidacy is a protest to the kind of nonsense spoken of above. My candidacy is a protest to the violation of the itolligence, the rights, and the freedoms of the people of Mississippi that is evidenced by that nonsense. But my candidacy is not only a protest. Because of the endorsement of my platform by certain individual per sons, groups, and organizations in the State, I have no other will but to believe in our ultimate victory. Therefore, I am running to get elected. Following is an out line of that platform. 1. ENFORCEMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES: As a political and legal document, the Constitution of the United States of America, and the first nineteen amendments to it, clearly and sufficiently provides for the protection of the rights and the freedoms of all Americans—the white ones, the black ones, the red ones, the brown ones, and even the hooded yellow ones that function under the cover of night. The administration of those rights and freedoms is further provided for by Title 10 Section 333, and Title 18 Sections 2lil, 2l;2, 30!?2 as amended in 19!?1, and Section 30^3 of the United States Code. When the civil rights of Negroes are questioned, however, the cry is heard that we do not have sufficient legislation to administer them. The business of instant law goes on, and violations of the civil rights of Negroes go unprosecuted. to the fullest extent of the law to this very day. The judges have been merciful to the killers of civil rights workers in the few cases that have been hdard. But in cases where Negroes have been tried and found guilty of Capital Crimes it was "God have mercy on your soul," This means that if you are white and hate Negroes the judge is capable of mercy, and. if you are black only God is capable of mercy—this means "white man's justice," No American must delude himself into thinking that the absence of social justice for the Negro is due to insufficient civil rights legislation. The absence of justice is due to unfaithfulness to the American Constitution, and partiality in administra tion. >Nothing can possily hide the racial quality of justice in this State and. in our Nation. 2 - 2. THE ELECTORIAL PROCESS: A large part of the failure of democracy in this State, in particular, and in our Nation, in general is dide to failures in the electorial process. In spite of everything the established Democratic Party in this State Is a closed one. This is also true of the Republican Party. They are not only closed, to Negroes, but the way in which they operate, and the purpose for which they operate make them closed to many whites. The Democratic Party controlls the politics of the State. In as much as this is true, the primaries are closed, and the proposed action of the State Legislature is most likely to render them even more closed.. It is likely going to raise the number of signatures that one must have in order to get on the ballot to an almost impossible one. The legislature already has absolute control over the primaries. Our legislators can do this, possibly, because they will hardly be affected, by it. For they did not get into office through the action of "above the board" conducted primaries and general elections. With the legislature having abso lute control of the primaries, and with the established democrats controlling and dominating the life of the State> I am really surprised that they have not succeded In forcing the republican Party to register as a subversive organization. For Mis sissippi is still the "closed society", and the state controlled and dominated, elec torial process is correspondingly closed. Only through free and open elections can we make the politics of our State decent and truly democratic. But, some say the key is now being fitted into the lock on the door of the "closed Society". They give as evidence the now existent Mississippi Democratic Con ference and the surging activity of the Young Democrats. This is now being offset by other moves to maintain exclusivism such as changing the election laws, redisrict ing, legislative reapportionment, and new techniques of manipulating free men. So while the squeaks of one door that may be opening are heard, or simply read justing to the winds of revolution, exclusivism is being carted out through another door to another stronghold, hopefully by them forever. Excessive governmental control of the electorial process is fatal to democracy regardless to how responsible a government may be for the propogation of itself. This is not only true for Mississippij it is true of our national system. In fact, de mocracy is contradicted by the present character and degree of governmental control of the electorial process. The electorial process must become less dominated by the legislature. Elections must be free and open, free of the tyranny that is now expressed, by the character of our state politics. Government must be a government of free people, by free people, and for free people. 3. DEMOCRACY IN THE ECONOMIC CRDER: If freedom and democracy are to live in our State it must exist in the economic as well as in the political order. The present character of capitalist laborer ethics in our State is hardly above the level of a master slave ethic. Organized labor has served an important function in this regard in many other parts of the country, and, wc must permit organized labor to do the same in this State of Mississippi. This can happen only when the people of Mississippi purge the political atmosphere and make it conducive to organized labor. Finally,legislation must be passed that will give more protection to workers. This must finally be spelled out in contracts issued to workers by firms. So far, contracts in this State protects mostly the employing agency. They tend in most all - 3 - cases to make an employee the property of the employing agency. The move must now be made to provide more protection for workers, to increase their sense of dignity, to make them more knowledgeable of the goals and the objectives of the firms for which they work through proper educaoion, to make employers more knowledgeable of the condi tions in which his employees live at home—to bridge the gap between employer and employee, and. ultimately to democratize the economic order, km FOREIGN POLICY? Mississippi must assume a more positive role in the shaping of foreign policy. Few fpeople, if any, will deny that our foreign policy is dominated, by reactionism and patronism, and it has dreadfully failed to spread peace and goodwill abroad. We are reacting militarily to tho spread of communism when militarism as a technique of combatting communism has long since been demonstrated to be inadequate. If former Premier of Russia, Fikita Khruschev, could boast "we don't need guns", cer tainly we can demonstrate our peace capability unarmed. But we continue to wage un necessary and devastating wars. Among the prime examples of such cases are Korea, Vietnam, the Dominican Republic, our involvement in the Congo and many others. It is strange indeed that the same logic in our foreign policy that applied in the above mentioned cases does not apply to Southern Rhodesia. But perhaps it is enough to admit that our foreign policy is a strange one that needs basic revisions. We must rid our foreign policy of a kind of Goldwaterism that is evident in it in spite of the defeat of Goldwater at the polls. We must also remove the tinges of a proverted social Darwinism where it is the ethical responsibility of the strong to subdue the weaki' We must believe that our resources for peace at least equals our resources for war, and participate in the projection of a foreign policy that makes full use of our resources for peace and goodws.ll rather than our military. 5* WELFARE AID: Contrary to Goldwaterism, the state is still responsible for providing aid for the poor and the needy. Moreover, our State is responsible for many of the welfare cases that we have because of its bent on maintaining a race dominated economy. This is evidenced by inequality in job opportunities, and in the salary scale among other things. Yet many poor and needy people are unable to secure wel fare aid because either they are Negroes, or they are, or have been involved in civil rights issues, or both. Many other Negroes have been taken off the welfare list be cause they asserted themselves in order to secure the full promise of democracy. We must put forth a firm effort to help all of those that obviously need welfare aid. 6. AGRICULTURE AND SKILL BUSINESS: Mississippi is still an agricultural state and every effort must be made that will make it possible for the small farmer and businessman to make a decent living. This is now possible with the Economic Oppor tunity Act being in force, but only if we secure and maintain adequate administration of the parts of the program that apply. It is known that most counties in Mississippi are having problems with ASCS elections. In most cases the white citizens responsible for the program have simply gone out and hand picked certain "good Negroes" whose name they could use in order to make it appear that the operation is integrated and otherwise properly constituted. This has been contested in many counties and should be contested in all other counties where this condition has developed. - 4 - The establishment of cooperatives among small farmers has not received proper and adequate administration, So far, it has been of far more benefit to the large and wealthy farmer than it has to the small farmer. Again, we must secure proper administration of the program and make it possible for all people in our state to earn a decent living. Me must effect a greater distribution of wealth in our state, especially among farmers. 7. HEALTH AND EDUCATION: We must provide adequate medical attention, including drugs, for the people of our state that are in need of medical aid on an impartial basis, and we must make the best possible education available to our children on an impartial basis, A single standard in education and a single educational system must be mac e to prevail throughout the state in order to provide the best possible education for our children. We have divided our resources in support of segregation for too long. We have paid, through taxation, for an expensive segregated system only to find out that it cannot possibly work. We will no longer settle for tokenism in education or any other area of our life in Mississippi. 8. IECSILIZED ALCHOLOLIC BEVERAGES! The mass of voters have done themselves and the state a great disservice by not either outlawing alcohol in this state and insisting upon maintaining a dry state, or legalizing whiskey. By not doing one of those we have permitted a few people to profit by the sale of alcoholic beverages in the state by simply paying a black market tax. The wiskey business is now one of the largest and most corrupt ones in the state. We have .reacteda position in this matter now where the most sensible move is to legalize it. Otherwise we would have to jail most of our people. We must clear this business up by legaizing it with appropriate legislation. 9. BENEFICIAL FEDERAL FROGRAMS: We must do everything in our power to secure every possible and beneficial program for our State that has been made available by the Federal Government, and make the benefits available to our people on the basis of need or merit. The time has come for us to put the lesson in practice that we have learned from other nations that have been torn by revolution born of tyranny, We live in a period when the sons of every known nation under the sun are crying out for "freedom now". They will no longer tolerate tyranny and oppression—we will no longer tolerate tyranny and oppression. We will only have governmental official to govern us who will impose no rule which they themselves are not willing to be ruled by. We must move the politics of our State into the Twentieth Century. We must guarantee"" justice to all of our people alike. Every citizen must enjoy an equal guarantee of freedom and opportunity, and we must make the good life possible to every Mississippian that dream the American dream regardless of who he is, what color he is, what his politics are, what his work is, or where he came from. SNCC 200 Rust Avon, uo Holly Springs,Mis£ April 26,1066 Dear Friend, In tho past you have shown an interest in our work and havo helped us with your contributions. For the assitwice you have already given us, we thank you. Because of your oast support, we call on you now and ur ge you to help us m our desperation. As of late we've noticed an overwhelming lack of necessary support - financially, morally and physically. There seems to"be the feeling that "the movement'1 is no longer active and therefore not worthy of your contribution. We would li:co to correct that state ment. Generally speaking, the novemont has changed. Workers aro no longer beaten when they enter t he courthouse with voter registration applicants, (they may be harrassec instead.) Workers are not shot at when riding through a county, (they are usually followed and/or arrost ed.) The important thing here is that brutality is not as severe as it once was - th at stage has passed. Nov/ that we are not hindered so much by brutality, we a re tore concerned with specific problems. Therefore public attention is no longer focused on us. Our work now consist s of helping people to get jobs with decent wages; school desegrationj settin ; up Poor Peoples Corpora tions, which enable people to have "something of their own" and get a fair price for their 'pods; helping in the construction of eon unity cen ters; giving assistance on federal program s; and of course there is always voter registration work and the political elections. As you can see the work we are now doiiv; is not the type of work which makes the headlines, but it is hard work, discouraging work. Work that takes time, hope, arid a great deal of patlonee - to help people get things thay need, want and rightfully deserve. We ask you not to desert U3 when your suoport is needed norc than ever before. You've helped us bhrough the brutal times and now that tho field is clour for constructive work, we urge you to lend a helping hand. Mail your contribu tion today to: Student Nonviolent Coordinat ing Committee, 200 Rust Avon uc, Holly Springs, Miss. Checks shou Id be payable to: Mrs. Rio a Walker at tho above address. All donations will be immediately acknowledged. With your much-noodod help and man:; others like you, we cannot fail. Please help us in our continuous fight. Thank you Peace and freedom, Sid Walker (Holly Springs..SHOC.) !fey 1, 1966 H.E. Wilson Department of Polities Princeton University Princeton, d.J. Hear Ikbe$ I*v© Been aeandng to seal tins newspaper t o you for a long tine*. I picked up several extra gopies of it vhen I was in Holly Springs in the wmm& of 1£&U* m 1 think I told you, for people who aigot be particularly Interested* The paper is probably typleal ©f small «cel3.4as la H* blr^k belt a out!.. "for will acts the folloving Interesting features, ftegroes are only shorn in photographs when they eorodt* erisies* StS civil rights uo'/eartt is 1 eaanHunisi plot Southerners, who fear sad bs*e centralised govemaent front Washington, nonetheless gain legitimacy fca» their views by? quoting official speeches br US Senators, and «JE Hoover, wbo the next month no aenbt they would condemn aa | Federal agent* %ro articles delight in the accidental death of a civil rights worker* Page ona> "short castSfM is beyond description* Thess are on page one. See also, page -3* "Hews of Interest to colored Headers,'* ishich of course is not sacra si though probably of social interest. Bear a of interest to colored readers is never printed. See also, p. Us *ldst of applicants for registration,8 the roll call of people who were "eagried." be it* fcourt house in the first ^Ppeedoai $$$** that CCFO held ia Holly Springs. I know of at least one faiaHy which was kicked off their 3sid as & resnlt of refistering^froM this group* She local newspapers will not change ss a result of %/m* People raay be able to register to vote easier, If they can get Federal re^istraSs, but the depth of at least seme of the problem can be read between the lines of the' Holly Springs »!?he douth iteportsr." As yon isany know, I was up to Wisconsin for an interview, successful, as It turned out* Dave Fellsuan and seme others asked for you* sC^iAs**^*—gj • SNCC - Phone: 252-2346 200 Rust Avenue Holly Springs, Mississippi August 2, 1966 Dear Friend, The negro community of Marshall County presented a petition to the white power structure here on Juno 18th. They gave these people — the Mayor, the Sheriff, the Board of Supervisors, the Board of Education, etc. — five weeks to reply to requests for employment for negroes in local government and in private businesses, compliance with Federal regulations in order to get aid in education, a Community Action Program, full-time negro policemen and placement of Negroes on the Selective Service Board. But there were no changes, and no communication came from the white people. Then when the day came for the second march to meet with the power structure and get a reply, a letter was sent by the back door saying that none of those addressed by the petition would meet the marchers at the Court House that day. After two years of marches and petitions, this finally decided the people of Marshall County: negotiations on the white man's terms are not possible, To bargain, they must achieve the same status. Marshall County is 73$ negro. Following a voter registration drive this summer when over 800 negroes were registered, there are now as many negro voters as white. The local elections are not until next year. But meanwhile pressure can be exerted on the ,white officials and is being by a full-scale boycott of all stores on >the square of Holly Springs. The Mayor owns some of these stores, and many other merchants pull strings in the local government. Since the day of that march the face of Holly Springs has changed: picketers carry their signs on all sides of the square; white faces with nothing else to do look out from their shop windows at their business which walks on by. But under this pressure the tension is rising. The police have begun to arrest all those who seem to be leaders and organizers, on any possible charge. Today we had to raise $1000 bail to get three people out of jail — people charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct etc. Now comes the test of which section of the community is to break first. The boycott is effective, but if we are to hold out we shall need money, and particularly bail funds. A trial set for this morning was postponed for a week by the Mayor because some how the City Attorney could not be there. We cannot afford to let the organizers of the picket stay in jail. Nor can this community afford to pay bail at this rate. So please contact us if your com munity could afford to set up a bail fund until our boycott has gained its objectives. Since this is an immediate need, we would appreciate hearing from you as quickly as possible. Thank you. For freedom, Mr. Sid Walker, project dir. Holly Springs, SNCC SNCC - Phone: 252-2346 200 Rust Avenue Holly Springs, Mississippi August 14, 1966 Dear Friend, Recently, many of you received a letter from us concerning the economic boycott and picketing activities which the black community initiated here as a result of the "white power structures" refusal to answer their demands. An appeal was made for bail funds to be set up in individual communities until our boycott has gained its objectives. Response to our plea has been considerably poor, thus the necessity for this repetitious plea. Following is a quick run down of the most recent incidents sur rounding the boycott. List 6th. a temporary restraining order wa. cket - t has on Monday, August We know that when we resume our picketing, the harassments and arrests will increase, (we have already had numerous arrests with excessive bails) and we are trying to prepare ourselves by having established bail-bond contacts. If you feel you can help us please contact us as quickly as possible. Harassments have included having children and oldor adults roped and dragged by white youths; people have had bottles thrown thru their windows; the picketers have been constantly heckled and harassed. These acts first began to accumulate with the beginning of the boycott, and have been most consistent in thoir osculation. We appeal to you now to either organise a bail fund in your community or help us with a personal bail contribution. Just a word concerning voter registration: There are now more blacks registered than whites. Ho efully wo will soon have every eligible black registered, which would then place the political power of Marshall County in thoir hands, since the Negro percentage is 73$. Si Most of the articles which havo heun printed about "Black Power" have been misconstrued and therefore tho term "Black Power11 has been misunderstood. "Black Power" is basically political power for the black man, but also includes economic and social power. The belief is that if hlaek people can unite as one mass (and more so in an area where they are in tho majority) thoy will be able to pool their votes together and consequently, control tho election - (Black "political" Power.) The concept of "Black Power" also aims to develop a certain "awareness" in the black man to make him concious of his blackness, so that he may develop a certain dignity in himself. The black man must further the development of his own black culture so that - thick lips, wide nostrils, and kinky hair - are features he can be proui of and not feel ashamed. This is basically "Black Power" - not necessarily violence or anti-white feelings but the concept of "strength thru unity." In closing, we urge you, once more to help us, if you possibly can, with our bail fund needs. We are looking forward to hearing from you....soon. Freedom, Sid Walker, Project Director Holly Springs, SNCC ^A ^4j^k^ ^&*t^ Holly Springs COFO 100 Rust Avenue Holly Springs, Miss* Dear Friend, After the excitement aroused by the marches and demonstrations which resulted in mass arrests earlier this summer the Holly Springs pro^riot is in a period of turmoil* We have volunteers and some manpower but many programs confront us and we are not sure where to concentrate our efforts* Voter Registration,, School Desegregation (in light of Title 6} Poverty Programs and Public Accomodations are all pressing issues. There has been extended debate concerning whioh is the most important and whioh will involve the community the most* Within the next day or two we should reach a decision. This should bring you up to date on our status. ^?e are hoping to send two people into Tate County and they will need oars with Citizens Band radios for their protection. In ad dition there are three other oars requiring repairs. One of our staff has some training in mechanics and will be able to fix at least one If not two of them. The rest will have to go to the shop and for all of them parts are needed. Costs for this will be $250 for the radios and $750 for the cars* In addition, if possible we need $30 per week subsistence for three permanent staff workers. Like all letters from Mississippi this is a fund raising letter, for which we can offer no apologies. We are hoping to get a news letter started so that all our friends can know what is fe&ppening down here. Right now what we need is money to help us continue. For the moment this should serve to bring you up to date on our activities. Thank you, and keep in touch. We can only hope that your gener osity equals our poverty. Yours in FREEDOM Project Director cf/tptf&nA ) 6u&al$ t&L-O January 5* 196$ Hello, Outside Worldl Most of the staff is in D.C. with about 50 local people participating in the FDP congressional challenge. We spent a hectic eleven hours and about $$00 of project money getting them all off. The Plymouth and VW filled and left early* Later in the morning Her Majesty (our affecbionate name for the gas-guzzling >$$ Imperial) was on her way back from the shop where we had spent $160 to put her in shape for the the trip, when she skidded off the rain-slick highway and flipped down a 25 ft embankment. The seatbelt saved Howard Jeffries from injury but the car was completely wiped out. What to do with the people ready to leave in Her Maje sty was JVB t another in the series of logis tics problems that made up the day. We say that the car situation is desperate in each newsletter and it just seems to get worse. Smokey, our *$6 Ford, is broken down (for the Jth time) somewhere out in Benton Co, In the last 3 weeks, we rave spent over $IG00 for car repairs ($300 of hich we still owe)* let's face it, an old car is no bargain in our kind of business^ 100 to 200 miles a day on & rt roads is hrd enough on a new car, let alone a 10 year old model. Her Majesty was an exception in being oneof our more reliable vehicles. Which makes her demise doubly sad. We now 'ave Smokey (when it's fixed again), the SNCC '614. Plymouth, Marjorie's VW, Aviva's Corvair and Kathy's Corvair. Tht means we can effectively work four or five of our seven counties. Last week in desperation, Frank bummed a ride out to Tate aid spent a couple of days walking the muddy roads in the cold, eating and sleeping with local people. You don't hve to be very perceptive to notice two recurring themes in the above paragraphs* Cars and Money. We're hurting for both. This has been about the most expensive month since we've been in operation. The car repairs aid the chalte nge trip took care of all the money we had in reserve aril the stamps for this mailing will just about break us. Someone has commented that the struggle in Mississippi is © stirg an incredible amount. Thousands of dollars a month. On the other hpnd, the so-called "advisory" role of the U.S. in South Viet-Nam runs $1,$00,000 a day...but then, there aren't too many similarities be tween the two operations. Another one of the diff ererc es lsth at we are dependent upon your eontributions--not your taxes* Personnel changes every other day. Several old timers are leaving us. Larry Rubin has returned to Antioch but will be back again in a few months. Gloria Zifaras accompanied the 20 or so Marshall aid Benton kids who went to NY to perform the play SEEDS 073 FREEDOM, She will be going home from NY. Kathy Dahl will be leaving in a few days for Calif and marriage. (Money Orders, checks, etc., should now be ad dressed to new office manager Bobbi Dearborn.) Several people went home forChristmas and more came to spend their vacations with us. Most of these people were new to us but sone were old friends from ths summer: Larry Wright, Harry Malm, Dave Kendall, Bob Feinglass, Woody Berry and Bob Fullilove. We were delighted to see all of thera and kept them quite buy while they were here. The volunteers vh o come down for more than a couple of months contri bute more than just their time aid work. A.11 volunteers are expected to support themselves, d ther with their own money or by being "adopt-? fflM1. They are expected to pay their own fines aid bail. Also, maiy brought down cars which COB t them several hundred in repairs—if in deed they ended up with a car at all. Rubin aid Cieciorka each junked a '60 and «6l Lark respectively at tte end of the summer. Wright and Cummings each lost a'$$ Chevy. Kendall and Merrill put new engines in their VWs as a result cf the simmer's work, ai dAviva paid for ex- tonrive repairs on her Corvair. Now Kathy Dahl is finishing six m months on the project by donating her Corvair to us. The people still here—just to keep everyone up to date—are: Cleve Sellers, Bob Smith, Frank Cieciorka, Aviva Futorian, Marjorie Merrill, Fred Meely, Diana Roberson, Howard Jeffries, U.Z. Nunnally, James Batts and Bobbi Dearborn. One of these days we'll send you a break down cf who-all does That and maybe some biographies so tha t these names will mean something to those of you who've never met us. Some of you may have heard about Carpenters for Christmas—the Oberlin group which came down to rebuild Antioch Baptist Church in Tippah Co. That's the church that burned down a few hours after Freedom candi date for Congress Fannie Lou Hamer spoke at an FDP rally there in Oct. The group of about 30 students stayed with families in the area and oat in long, hard days. When they asked us if they could come down to build the church during Christmas vacation, we almost didn't let t hem because we seriously doubted that it was possible to do the job in two weeks. Our doubts were unfounded and when they left there was only finishing work to be done. The first function of the completed build ing was (natch) an FDP rally with Freedom Congresswoman-elect Annie Devine as guest speaker. We still need ma. ny of the same old things: hEGRO HISTORY BOOKS (we are trying to set up libraries in each county and Negro history is probably the most important subject to includeM FLASHLIGHT BATTERIES MIMEO INK & ALL SIZES MIMEO PAPER TYPEWRITER RIBBONS (Royal and Smith-Corona) ELECTRIC TYPEWRITER (small portable e.g. Smith-Corona—for typing stencils) STENCILS SISSORS 16mm SOUND FILM PROJECTOR BOCKS: art history; Russell Why I am not a Christian; Russell, Unpopular Essays; Trumbo, Johnny Got His GUB; anything by Richard Wright; Camus, The Stranger; White,., Organization Man; Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem; Wilson, To the Finh ndStation; Lewis, Mai. n Street; any and all dictonaries. Incidentally, Woody and Full! willb e down for the whole month of Jan, They are working on Colgate's new independent study program in which the student isallowed to pick and deal with some topic which interests him. Our ex-staffers are reviewing the ch nges that have taken place sine e the summer and are trying to reach seme conclusions about the direction and development of the movement in the state. Hope to hear from y'all--soonJ Yours for a FREE New Year, The Gang 100 Rust Ave., Holly Spriig s, Miss f December 13, 1964 Hi y'all again, Rather than try to explain the upcoming FDP congressional challenge, we've enclosed a simplified brochure which we'll be using in work shops and mass meetings. Also, for the results of the ASC election, we've included the first couple of pages of the BENTON COUNTY FREE DOM TRAIN. The last three pages of Negro poetry and Negro history are left out to cut down on postage. Our efforts in the ASC election in Benton and Marshall were rewarded with seven arrests, charges ranging from illegal parking (yes, they carry us to jail for that!) to "practicing law without a license." The latter honor went to Frank when he advised new staff member James Batts of Benton County, arrested for obtaining a driver's license under false pretenses, not to answer any questions until he had seen a lawyer. It seems that deputy Roach overheard the ad vice, even more, he recognized Cieciorka's voice and came raging out of his office to make the arrest. He launched into a most ener getic tirade against Frank, calling him all sorts of good things from a billy goat to things that can't be sent through the mails. When he couldn't think of any more obscenities, he dropped the charge Bob Smith's arrest In Benton brought familiar reminiscence with dep uty Crumpton who has fully recovered from his heart attack. Said Crumpton, "Gee, we haven't had any of y'all in here since Peter Cumnings." The Farese boys, by the way, did the prosecuting in both counties. We are presently appealing. U.Z.Nunnally and Howard Jeffers, both of Holly Springs, are now on part-time staff. In addition, a chic from San Jose, Bobbi Dearborn, is expected to arrive any day now. AND Hardy Frye will be back at the end of January, which means Marshall County will be In the head lines soon. Everyone is still asking for "overalls". The latest rumor circulating around town is that several white COFO girls have had Negro babies at Rust College. In six months? Biggest news of all is not yet quite hatched. As you know, the Jus tice Bept. has had a suit against the registrars of Marshall and Benton Counties. The suit was supposed to come to trial last week. At the last minute, however, the attys for the registrars admitted discrimination and asked for a delay of the trial to attempt to come to an agreement out of court. They pulled a really wild thing. In the Panola County decision last spring, the registrar was given the choice of either easing up on future registrants OR to erase every one from the books and begin some kind of re-registration. Well, no one took the alternative seriously and Panola started giving easier tests. Not so with the clever Marshall and Benton lawyers. They've wiped the books clean so there's not a single registered voter in the two counties. That's equality for ya—with a ven geance! Now the hassle is over the nature of the re-registration requirements. Nick Flannery of the'JD is handling the case and has been quite good about telling us what's happening. We'll keep you posted. -2- Response to our needs has been good with a magnificent 36 cup elec tric coffee pot and floor heaters coming in this last week. Risking your impatience with our repetitions, we still need lots of Negro history books, flashlights, cars, mimeo ink and mimeo paper of all sizes, 16mm sound movie projector (all sorts of great films are available to us if we had some way of showing them.), art history books, and the following speciflo titles: Russell, WHY I AM NOT A CHRISTIAN; Russell, UNPOPULAR ESSAYS; Trumbo, JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN; anything by Wright; Camus, THE STRANGER; Wilson, TO THE FINLAND STATION; Lewis, MAIN STREET; White, ORGANIZATION MAN; Arendt, EICHMANN IN JERUSALEM; Bedelhelm, THE INFORMED HEART; and as many dictionaries as we can get. We have a special urgent need: a new mimeograph machine. Ours is on Its last leg and we have a miserable time getting out the FREEDOM TRAIN. A new model would eliminate much frustration, wasted time, wasted paper, and shattered nerves. Depending on the mood the machine is in, our spoilage rate for paper can run between 30 to 50$. Can you help us? Give us any leadd? Anything? Preacher George McClain dropped in for a couple of days. He's tour ing southern colleges—both white and Negro—and working with Method ist youth groups. Despite his closer contacts with the white commun ity, he still, like the rest of us, has been unable to fathom the white southern mind. Recent rumors of COFO breaking up are unfounded. NAACP pulled out but SCLC is still with us. Anyway, since most of the .$$ and per- sonell come from SNCC, with CORE making up the difference, all that we figure we lost were five initials. The problem is that SNCC thinks it will run out of money by January and CORE is already 1*50,000 in debt. Now's the time to step up the fund-raising efforts. The work down here has taken on even more of an air of unreality with the advent of the holiday season. The courthouse in Holly Springs is absurdly decorated with colored lights that make it look like a carousel at night. Ain't gonna let no carousel turn me 'round? To all of you who can't make it down for the holidays, rest ye merrie and Best Wishes, The Gang 100 rust avenue, holly springs, mississippi FANNIE LOU H AM E R ANNIE DE VIN E VICTORIA GRAY THE CONGRESSIONAL CHALLENGE WHAT IS THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS? The United States Congress is a meeting of people chosen from all over the United States. These people meet in Washington to make the laws of the United States. Congress makes laws which say how much cotton a farmer can crop and how much he should be paid for his cotton. Congress made the Civil Rights law. Congress says how much money the government in Washington gives to Mississippi. Congress could make laws to give us good schools. Congress could make laws to say that people who chop and pick cotton should make more money. Congress could make laws to say that we can all get food and clothing from welfare when we need them. Congress could make laws to make it easy for everyone -- black and white --to vote in Mississippi. WHY DOESN'T THE CONGRESS DO THE THINGS WE WANT? Congress does not do the things we want because we do not have anyone in Congress to speak for us. Jamie Whitten, John Bell Williams, Tom Abernathy, Prentiss Walker and William Colmer were chosen November 4th to go to Congress from Mississippi. We did not help choose them. We were not allowed to vote on November 4th. And so the men elected November 4th cannot speak for us. They do not know what we want. WHOM DO WE WANT IN CONGRESS? We want someone in Congress who will say what we want done. Many of us voted in a FREEDOM VOTE October 30th and 31st, November 1st and 2nd, for our repre sentatives in Congress. In the FREEDOM VOTE we chose Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer from Ruleville, Mrs. Annie Devine from Canton and Mrs. Victoria Gray from Hattiesburg to go to Congress to speak for us. Everyone could vote in the FREEDOM VOTE. So Mrs. Hamer, Mrs. Devine and Mrs. Gray can speak for us and all the people in Mississippi. Mrs. Hamer, Mrs. Devine and Mrs. Gray are members of the FREEDOM DEMOCRATIC PARTY. The FREEDOM DEMOCRATIC PARTY is made up of people in Mississippi who want to vote and choose their representatives. WHAT IS THE CONGRESSIONAL CHALLENGE? Mrs. Hamer, Mrs. Devine and Mrs. Gray are going to Washington. They are going to say that they should be allowed to sit in Congress and talk about our problems. Mrs. Hamer, Mrs. Devine and Mrs. Gray will have help from many people. We have friends in Congress who will tell ether members of Congress on January 4th that the men chosen in Mississippi in the regular election should not be allowed to sit in Congress. And lawyers will come to Mississippi after Congress opens. They will want us to tell why we can't vote in Mississippi. And they will want us to tell how the Congressmen from Mississippi don't do the things we want. The lawyers will take these things back to Congress. They will tell Congress what things are like in Mississippi. They will ask Congress to let Mrs. Hamer, Mrs. Devine and Mrs. Gray sit in Congress as our representatives. Mrs. Hamer, Mrs. Devine and Mrs. Gray will also tell people in Congress and all over the United States what things are like in Mississippi. They will open an office in Washington, and they will tell everybody that they are the Congresswomen from Mississippi. WHAT MUST WE DO HERE IN MISSISSIPPI? We must make the Freedom Democratic Party strong in Mississippi. We must go to precinct meetings, county meetings, and the state meeting December 20th in Jackson and say what we want the Freedom Demo cratic Party to do. We must help the lawyers when they come to Mississippi. We must tell them how hard it is to vote in Mississippi. And we must tell them that we don't want the men elected in the regular election to represent us. We must tell them that we want Mrs. Hamer, Mrs. Devine and Mrs. Gray to speak for us in Congress. We must be ready to go to Washington January 4th. We must go to Congress when it opens January~4~th, and tell the country that we want Mrs. Hamer, Mrs. Devine and Mrs. Gray to be our representatives in Congress. We must let Mrs. Hamer, Mrs. Devine and Mrs. Gray know what we wantT We should send letters and petitions to Mrs. Hamer, Mrs. Devine and Mrs. Gray in Washington, and we should visit them there. We should tell them what is happening in Mississippi and ask them to help us. We should tell them what we want them to say in Congress. We should tell them about welfare, cotton allotments, jobs and schools. We should tell everybody in America that we want Mrs. Hamer, Mrs. Devine and Mrs. Gray in Congress. Vie should write to newspapers and congressmen in Mississippi and other states and tell them about the Freedom Democratic Party and about the Congressional Challenge. We should go to other states and speak about Mrs. Hamer, Mrs. Devine and Mrs. Gray. We should let all the country know that we want our own representatives in Congress. WRITE TO MRS. HAMER, MRS. DEFINE AND MRS. GRAY AT: FREEDOM DEMOCRATIC PARTY 1353 "U" Street Washington, D. C FREEDOM VOTE WHO: FANNIE LOU HAMER W CONGRESS FANNIE-LOU HAMER is the c andidate of the FREEDOM DEMOCRATIC PARTY for Congress in the Second District. Mrs . Hamer used to work on a plantation near Ruleville.. She was fired when she tried to•register to vote. And later she was beaten by the police in Winona because shewas helping other Negroes to register Fannie Lou Hamer and the' Freedom Demo cratic Party want JOBS, JUSTICE^ and ED UCATION for all people in Mississippi - black and' white. And they want all people to have the right to vote.* That -is why the FREEDOM' VOTE is being held. Anyone who is 21 or older can vote in the FREEDOM VOTE. You do not have to be registered at the Courthouse to vote .in- the FREEDOM VOTE. You can. vote at churches, barbershops,, cafes - at any FREEDOM VOTE polling place. ;VOTE for FANNIE LOU HAMER. in.the FREEDOM AND: -VOTE on OCTOBER 30 - ,3-1.and NOVEMBER 1-2. .r •"' • • i LYNDON JOHNSON FOR PRESIDENT HUBERT HUMPHREY FOR VICE PRES. AARON HENRY FOR SENATE WHEN: OCTOBER 30-31 NOVEMBER 1-2 WHERE: Or At Any FREEDOM VOTE Polling Place Dear Outside Agitators, Here It is guys. The results of the Freedom Vote, for the Holly Springs Project. Three cars impounded, 5 arrests, one church burned to the gpound, several chases, and 4541 votes. On election day, Frank and Cleve went to help the project in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, fehey had three Negroes running for the legislature and needed help carrying people to the polls. Frank was waiting in his car for a woman to come out of the polling place when a couple of burley rednecks dragged him out and beat up on birru After being worked Over for several minutes, he was arrested by the chief of police who was watching the affair from across the street. Charged with falling to yield the right of way. The injuries to his face, while quite superficial, looked very impressive for a while. / Larry Rubin returned last week and got off to a great start by bang ing up his car and getting arrested for reckless driving. He"11 work Marshall County until he leaves to go back to school sometime in Jan. Right after Christmas we'll also be losing Kathy, Gloria, and Bob Smith. And we'll also lose Kathy's car. Diane Roberson from Mass. came down with the jfreedom vote volunteers and is staying on for—a ——few months. She is working in Tate with Frank. Nothing like an in- teracial couple for a hard core county. Harry Malm came down for the weekend with some p ople from Iowa who are setting up an extensive "cousin" program with Rust College and Marshall County. Debbie has announced grand plans for the Holly Springs Freedom School Players to present their play in and around New York during Christmas vacation. So if you can help in any way write: Mrs. Debbie Flynn, 38 Livingston Street, Brooklyn,N^Y. We finally got the results of the J.T. Dean autopsy. It was a heart attack. Apparantly no foul play. Our thanks to the Felnglass Foundation for two big turkeys for the holidays. Eugene Hunn has tithed ^2.00 a week ( one days salary in the peace corps). He will leave Jan. 3 from New York to teach English in Ethiopia. .after a month of loverly weather, it's freezing down here. The Freedom House is a marvel of thermoengineering. The two floor heaters get the hall nice and cozy but the rooms benefit only from our body heat. Have you ever tried to type with mittens on? Which brings us of course to NEEDS: Three or four electric heatersl/ The Benton County Freedom Train will fold unless we get a continuous supply of 84X11 mimeo paper. Each week it uses over six reams of the stuff./ Drip coffee pot ( 15 cup)./ flashlights./ magic markers ( perhaps the refillable felt tip pen type instead of the throwaways)/ cars. We;re really desparate for reliable vehicles. Maybe one of you comingdown for Christmas can get one donated to bring with you, it should be some thing tha will run for a couple of months. And get more than 5 mi. per gallon. OUr driveway looks like an auto graveyard with fall the klunkers -hat no longer work./ A group from Oberlin planning to come down Dec. 19 to Jan. 2 to help rebuild Antioch Church. They intend to raise most of the money up there. The work team will be headed by a contractor who has built several churches in the South. Thais for your letters, financ&l aid, food, clothes, and all the ;ther support you give us. You may not realize it, but y'all are responsible for keeping three forths of our operation going. We in tend to include some gossip in this number but it will have to wait. it it's coming just like Christmas, _^. 53 University Place Princeton, N.J. 26 October 1964 Dear Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, As you may know, I worked this summer with the Mississippi Summer Project in voter registration, I wasn't beaten? I wasn't arrested. I was only witness and worker in the terrible struggle which Mississippi Negroes have undertaken in their rebellion against the Southern caste system, the beatings, the arrests, the inadequate and segregated schools, the life of poverty. Throughout the summer it was impossible not to think of September and the coming of winter, when the cotton would be picked and workers would be more expendable, when national attention would have diminished, and when white hostility to the civil rights movement would be most clearly revealed. The recent bombings and arrests of Negroes in McComb, and the bombings in Natchez and elsewhere were realizations of the summer's fears. Last week I received a letter from the Holly Springs project where I worked. I have enclosed a copy. The projects throughout the state have been told that they must depend upon their own resources for financial support. In other words, most of the money this winter will have to come from the efforts of summer volunteers who have returned to the North. Our continuing obligations are deep, and must be met. The enclosed letter was particularly moving to me because I was the first person in our project to interview Mr. Dean when he came to the office. I remember well the relief on his wife's face when we told them that we could let the family have a box of food and some money for the children's milk and medicine. When Mr. Dean was kicked off his place for wanting to vote, the men for whom he had driven a tractor owed him a few hundred dollars; in Mississippi, it was uncollectable. The family will continue to rely on the civil rights workers for basic provisions. The case of the Dean family, of course, is not isolated. There will be other families evicted and abused for their attempts to exercise basic rights as citizens and as people. This summer when we talked to people about registering in the Freedom Democratic Party, we had to assure them that we were in their county to stay. Although we pointed out that the FDP was the party of Mississippians, to win confidence we insisted that civil rights workers would remain in the area so long as they were needed. As the enclosed letter reveals, the time to demonstrate our perserverance in this fight has arrived, I am asking your help because I thought you might be interested, and because I don't know to whom else to turn if not my friends. Please let me know if you have any questions about the project. I would welcome chances to talk about what happened this summer, or to respond in a note. If you can help, please make out your check to me or to the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) and send it to me at S3 University Place, Princeton, New Jersey. Thank you for your interest and support.